The Last Assignment
by NanouBE76
Summary: Arthur Bishop has finally retired from his activities or so he thought. When he settles down in Cancun, Mexico under one of his aliases, little did he expect to do one last assignment and this time….out of a love he had always denied himself.
1. Chapter 1

Hailey was tired from a full day's work when she walked into La Rosa Negra. It was happy hour on a Friday and it was packed as always. She squeezed through the crowds of people who were drinking, smoking, laughing and talking. In the different crowds you could hear a mix of English and Spanish as the locals mixed in with the tourists. It was end of June and it was still quite hot and as the news talked about a heatwave, it was obvious that the temperature was not going to let up anytime soon, nor during the night. She was wearing a Royal Blue fitted dress and matching open-toe high heels and she cursed herself for having forgotten her sneakers at work, as her feet were killing her.

Eventually, she made it to the bar and sat down on an empty stool, which was rare and lucky. She was checking her cellphone when the bartender stopped at her level.

"What can I get you"?

The voice and the accent were enough to get her attention. They were unknown to her and it sparked her interest. She removed her eyes from her phone and looked at the man on the other side of the bar, as she placed her phone down on it. He was taller than any of the bartenders she had known here. He had hazel colored eyes, had no hair and had a strong build, as she could see from what was showing. He sounded British and looked rather unwelcoming. Exactly the opposite of who generally worked at La Rosa Negra. Hailey was more than intrigued.

"A Coke Zero, please. Thank you".

The guy gave her a look of disbelief.

"You're kidding right"? he asked with an abashed and reproachful tone that made Hailey tick. Yet Hailey was always a nice person and if he was new, it was obvious that he didn't know her yet.

She raised and eyebrow and remained firm. "Do I look like I'm kidding"?

"Look lady, this is a bar, we don't serve soft drinks"!

Hailey laughed internally. This guy was a joke but then again, those must have been the orders he'd been given. Serve alcohol, it reels in the cash.

"My bad", said Hailey, "I thought I was at the General Store down the corner".

The guy looked at her and she could tell he was trying to hold back a smile.

"When you're set on ordering alcohol, let me know", said the guy before heading towards the opposite end of the bar to serve other customers.

Hailey looked around, but the place was so damn packed, she couldn't see anyone she knew. Apparently, this guard dog was the only one serving drinks and she knew she wouldn't get her way. She shot a furtive look in his direction, as he was talking to a beautiful tanned blonde, and stood from her stool. She walked around to the wooden swaying door of the bar and passed through them, never taking her eye off the watch dog turned crooner on the other end of it. She quietly walked over to one of the cooler doors, opened it and knelt to grab a can of Coke Zero. When she closed the door, she saw two black construction type boots standing firmly at her side. She stood and looked him straight in the eye, she could tell he was fuming and not happy.

"You must have a hearing problem. I said we don't serve soft drinks".

"And you must have a seeing problem, cause I know you do, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to serve a classic Rhum Coke"!

"You know, I should report you to the owner for trespassing".

"Be my guest"! said Hailey daring him. She fidgeted for a second in her purse, then dropped a 50 pesos bill and a 10 pesos coin on the counter next to him. "Here's the equivalent of 2 tequila shots. Now get off my back"!

The guy narrowed his eyes as he watched her pivot and walk away. He quickly grabbed the bill and the coin, planning to put them in the till, when he noticed she was heading towards the swaying service door. Even though he was watching her every move and how mesmerizing she looked, and he hadn't even noticed it had he been too busy preventing her from getting a bloody coke. He quickly scanned the bar area, and everyone was served and busy. He followed her determined, to talk some sense into this chick who seemed to be a bit too at ease.

By the time he reached the other side of the swaying door, she was half-way down the corridor and was picking up her removed heels from the floor.

"And where do you think you're going? You've got problems with authority. Can't you read the signs that say 'no trespassing'"!

She waved her hand up in the air as she kept walking down the corridor, defying him. "I live here, wise ass".

She disappeared around the corner and he accelerated his pace, there was no way he was going to lose his job over her, good looking or not. "Yeah and I'm the fucking queen of England"!

When he came around the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. Sitting around a round table for six was none other than the owner of the bar, his boss, Carmen Vega, her two brothers Miguel and Santos and the pest of a girl he had followed. She was drinking her Coke from the can and Santos was serving her a plate with a taco and Mexican rice.

Carmen looked up from her plate in his direction.

"Everything OK Drew"?

The guy named Drew, kept looking at Hailey. Hailey gave him a self-satisfying look then addressed herself to Carmen.

"Car, can you tell your new British Bulldog to back off"?

Miguel and Santos laughed.

Carmen looked at Drew apologetically. "I'm sorry Drew, I forgot to give you a head's up. I was so busy explaining how the bar works that I forgot to mention some key things".

Hailey watched as Drew shifted into a more relaxed posture, not as welcoming as she would have liked, but at least a bit less aggressive. "I should get back to the bar, it's getting busy".

"I'll come with you", said Miguel as he stood from his chair.

When they were gone, Hailey looked at Carmen. Carmen was a short, robust, typical Hispanic woman. She was in her early fifties and ran her cantina/bar like a drill sergeant. It was one of the most popular bars in the area, there was always a good atmosphere, good music and great alcohol.

"You didn't forget to tell him. You were testing him, weren't you"?

Carmen smiled as she looked at Hailey lovingly.

"You know me too well".

"Next time warn me".

"Now what fun would have that been, huh Chica"?

Hailey smiled. "So, did he at least pass the test"?

"I don't know, you tell me".

"We'll he's got, we only serve alcohol here, down, that's already a start". Hailey took a sip from her Coke. "He's able to multitask, by that I mean, flirt at one end of the bar and see that I'm going in the cooler on the other side. He's very quiet, I didn't hear him walk up to me". She looked at Carmen. "Had you had a bat hidden somewhere behind the bar, I'm sure he would have smashed it on my stealing hand and chased me down with it all the way over here".

"Then he passed the test", said Carmen as she stood from her chair.

"Let's just hope he's a bit more action driven when it comes to men"!

Carmen cleaned her plate and cutlery at the sink as she kept an eye on Hailey. "You look tired. Hard day at work"?

Hailey rubbed her forehead. "A bit. Steven's got 5 projects going on at the same time and I have to be able to juggle everything in everyone's agenda with last minute changes and cancellations. Anyway, I'll spare you the boring details. Let's just say, I'm happy it's the weekend".

"Well, you should get some rest, we can do without you for tonight".

"Are you kidding!? This is the best part of my week. Besides, it allows me to blow off steam and not think about work".

"Alright then. Take an hour to relax a bit", said Carmen as she headed down the corridor towards the bar.

Hailey ate in silence then echoed what Carmen had did and tidied up her stuff. She kept walking down the corridor, in the opposite direction of the bar and reached a narrow wooden staircase. She went up two flights of stairs and reached the hallway. There were only three doors, one was the bathroom and the other two were bedrooms. Hailey lived in the one that gave on the back of the bar and as for the other, it had never been rented, not for the past years that Hailey had lived there. On the first floor was Carmen's apartment and it spread out over the entire floor and was minimally furnished but had everything it needed to be welcoming and useful.

Hailey let herself into her room and put her bag down on her desk. The room was big enough to hold a nice wooden wardrobe, queen-sized bed, a dresser and a desk and chair. Next to the bed was a double-pane window and she could see away in the distance, the beach and the ocean. On the dresser was a television, but Hailey very rarely watched it, it wasn't one of her favorite pastimes.

She removed her dress and grabbed a pair of dirty-blue jean shorts and a black draped blouse that hid perfectly her black lace bra. Once she was dressed, she grabbed a pair of blacked open toe wedged heel sandals and stood in front of the mirror. She contemplated herself for a few seconds before heading back towards the dresser and placing big silver loops on her ears.

She checked her phone one last time before placing it on the dresser next to her purse and walked out of her room, carefully closing the door behind her.

When she walked through the kitchen, Santos was preparing a plate of nachos and tapas to bring out back to a client. She stopped and took a nacho from the plate.

"Mi Corazon, tu es guapa"! Santos said as he looked at her.

"You're lucky Paquita isn't here"! she said mocking him. Paquita, was Santos' wife and had been for the past twenty years. They had three amazing daughters and she knew Santos well enough to know that his heart belonged to Paquita, no matter what.

When she had finished eating the nacho chip, she headed through the service door and into the bar area. The place was even more packed than it had been before. Drew was had returned to his spot at the end of the bar and was flirting again with the blonde, who was apparently enjoying every word he told her, she had on a charming smile, her eyes twinkling and had her hand on his forearm. Hailey rolled her eyes at the scene and headed towards a drawer near the till, not far from Drew, and pulled out a black waist apron. She tied it around her waist and walked away from the bar, without even getting Drew's attention. So much for a watch dog, she thought to herself as she made her way through the crowd towards the tables in the back.

She headed towards a table of regulars and took their order. She then walked over to the bar.

"Hey Bloke, when you've finished charming Britney Spears over there, I'd need two margaritas and three Corona's with Lime"!

Drew turned his head towards the typical Eastern US accent coming from the middle section of the bar and blinked a couple of times. If he had found her exquisite, from behind, in her blue dress earlier, she was jaw-dropping in that blouse, that left no man clueless as to what was underneath it. He looked at the blonde, "Excuse me for a minute".

Seeing that he was starting to prepare the drinks, Hailey headed back to another table. If that guy thought she was going to let him have even another minute of his time to grant that bimbo, he was in for a surprise.

She returned minutes later as he was placing the last margarita on the platter.

"Here you go Jersey Girl! Anything else"?

She narrowed her eyes. Apparently, the Brit had been around and had very elegantly matched her accent to the right US State. Yet she didn't give him the satisfaction of showing he was right.

"5 tequila shots, 3 margaritas and 1 rum on the rocks".

He watched as she took the platter and head towards the back of the room. As she did so, all the men who were in her way put themselves on the side, allowing her easy access and mostly the opportunity of watching her. Drew watched her every single move as well and he, like most of the men there, could have spent the entire evening watching her. She was toned and tanned, and her earrings enhanced the beauty of her face that was highlighted by a charming pixie cut of brown hair with occasional blond highlights which looked like they were naturally created by sunlight rather than dyed.

As he poured the tequila shots, he watched her as she talked and laughed with the clients. There was nothing out of place in her behavior, she wasn't flirtatious or vulgar in any way, shape or form. She seemed like a good girl with a good upbringing and he wondered what the hell she was doing working the night shift at a local bar in Cancun.

At around two o'clock in the morning, the last patrons walked out of the bar and Drew watched Hailey lock the door behind them as he was drying glasses. He said nothing as she put tables and chairs back into place. She then came behind the bar and removed her apron and put it back in the drawer. He was about to say something to her, break the ice, since their awkward encounter earlier that evening, when she looked at him, or so he thought.

He watched as she took out a wad of bills from her back pocket and dropped it next to him on the counter. "In case Carmen also forgot to tell you, you get 50% of my tips every night".

She walked away then turned around as he took the bills in his hand. "Oh and Brtiney Spears is waiting for you at the door"!

He turned around and saw the blonde waiting in front of the locked door. When he turned around to thank Hailey for his share of tips, she was gone. He sighed and placed the bills in his pocket before heading towards the door.

Hailey had striped in no time and had slipped into a girl's boxer and spaghetti strapped top and slid under the covers. The minute her head hit the pillow, she had fallen asleep, exhausted by her long day. Carmen had gone up around midnight as usual. That was the way it had always been ever since Hailey had been there. Hailey locked up and Carmen went up around midnight so that she could open early in the morning. Miguel locked up on Sunday nights as Hailey was working the next day. It was a perfect arrangement and pleased everyone.

Hailey woke up from a distant dream slowly to sounds coming through the door. At first, she panicked that there might be an intruder, then worried that maybe something was wrong with Carmen as she heard what sounded like whimpering or moaning. She tossed the covers off her body and slipped out of bed. She opened the door and found the hallway light switch instantly. She flipped it on and looked down the hall.

Her eyes grew wide open and her mouth fell to the floor. Sitting on the dresser in the hallway, was the blonde bimbo, she had her legs wrapped around Drew, who was standing between them in a perfect position, and were both naked. The blonde covered her opulent breasts with her hands and tried to show that she wasn't bothered by the situation. Drew, luckily for Hailey, didn't move an inch from his pleasuring position but looked at Hailey in a way she was finding hard to define. It wasn't indifference or shame, but more a mix of an apology and regret.

Even though she was trying hard not to, it was impossible for Hailey to not take presence of Drew's amazing body.

"Oh, for fuck's sake"! Hailey said as she turned off the light and headed back into her room and spent the next couple of minutes trying to remove the scene from her head and fall back asleep. She was relieved when she heard nothing more and finally allowed herself to fall back asleep, somewhere between being irritated, amused and somewhat envious.

In the other room, Drew, who had sent the bimbo away, laid on his back looking at the ceiling. As he felt stupid for not realizing that she was the one who was staying in the apartment from his, he couldn't help but remember two things… the way she was looking at him and what she was wearing!


	2. Chapter 2

When Hailey woke up, the day was already fully in bloom. She peeked at the alarm clock and saw that it was almost noon. For a few seconds her mind went to what she was going to do that day. She then suddenly remembered the scene in the corridor and she tried to shake it from her head, but there was something in the way Drew had looked at her that troubled her. Some guys wouldn't have even cared about being caught red handed with their pants off, others would have been embarrassed, but him, giving her that apologetic look, threw her off balance.

She slipped out of bed and stretched her entire body before heading for the door. She opened it slightly and looked down the corridor towards his apartment. She was relieved to see that the door was closed. It wasn't so much the fact that she didn't want to see anymore action, she could have cared less about the blonde bimbo, it was just that she didn't want to see him.

She slid through the crack of the door and quietly went to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She took a quick shower, knowing full well that she'd need another one before working later that night and when she was done, checked again the corridor before tiptoeing back to her room.

Drew hadn't slept much that night and had been awake since the crack of dawn. He was reading a book when he had heard Hailey's door open. Very much like a voyeur, he had looked through the keyhole of the door. There was something about her that intrigued him, that made it so that he felt drawn to her, as if she was a magnet. It could have partly been because she had dared to stand up to him the night before at the bar. He loved women who had character and it seemed as though she didn't lack any, although he could sense a bit of vulnerability hidden deep down inside, she was a lot like him.

When he heard her door open again, he saw that she was wearing a flowing floral dress, flat sandals and what must have been a bikini, as the strap was visible going from her chest to her neck. She was carrying a beach bag in one hand and her sunglasses in the other.

He walked over to the window and waited until her saw her leave the building, cross the street, as she greeted the locals with a warm smile, and head down towards the beach. When she was out of sight, he grabbed his book and sunglasses and headed out to follow her.

Over the years, he had learned that you could tell a lot by watching someone when they didn't know it. It often revealed their true nature and how they fit in society.

As he passed through the kitchen, Santos was eating lunch.

"How's it going man"? asked Santos as he took a sip of his cerveza.

"Alright. You"?

"I can't complain. Have you and Hails been able to get to know each other"?

"I can't say, I've had the chance yet. She seems nice".

"Nice? That is, how do you say that in English, an understatement. That girl has a heart of gold hombre. If I weren't married… well, you know".

Drew gave him a side smile. "I see what you mean", he hesitated for a second then thought he'd give it a try, seeing they were having a man to man conversation. "What's her story"?

"A small-town girl, came here a couple of years ago for a vacation with her girlfriends. She fell in love with the place, found a job and never left. And trust me we're all better for it".

Drew nodded. It was obvious that Hailey was liked by Carmen and her brothers. He noted again this strong character she had; leaving everything behind on a whim and settling in a foreign country. It was gutsy, and he respected that.

"What are going to do today"? asked Santos as he stood from the table and headed to check on the homemade salsa sauce he had been preparing.

"It looks like a beautiful day, I think I'll go walk around for a while, unless you or Carmen need me"?

Santos shook his head. "Carmen is out running errands for the cantina. Miguel is tending the bar, things are quiet, I think you can take a few hours. We'll need to start stocking up around four, tonight is going to be busy".

Drew nodded. "See ya later".

He greeted Miguel as he passed through the cantina and headed outside. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of Bermuda shorts and he looked damn good. It was obvious as most women who he crossed paths with, eyed him intensely and smiled. When he reached the beach, it was overcrowded, which was normal for a Saturday afternoon. He scanned the beach looking for a brunette with a blue bikini, the color of the bikini strap he had seen around her neck. He also imagined where on the beach someone like Hailey would sit. Seeing the noise, chaos and hoards of people at the cantina in the evenings, he imagined she'd sit somewhere retreated and quiet, but still busy enough to not feel entirely alone.

He scanned again the beach and stopped near the lifeguard's cabin. Just next to it, laying on her stomach, facing the ocean and prompted on her shoulders was Hailey, she was reading a book.

He sat down at a reasonable distance a bit in retreat and pretended to read his book as he analyzed her every move. Over the course of the next three hours, he watched as she laughed with some of the children and talked to the locals and the lifeguard whom she apparently knew quite well. He was tall and muscular, and it was obvious that he was coming on to her, but she never changed her attitude. She wasn't flirtatious and if she was interested in him, her body language didn't indicate anything. But then again, this guy was just a kid. He couldn't have been more than 25 and Drew found himself thinking that there wasn't any reason for him to feel threatened by this guy.

A half an hour before 4, as if to cool herself down from being in the sun for a couple of hours, she stood from her towel and walked slowly towards the ocean and there again, he realized the magnetic force she emitted as men around her stared. She swam over to a big floating wooden board in the middle of the ocean and hoisted herself up on it easily and elegantly and briefly looked out towards the horizon. The view of her enjoying one of the simplest things in life was breathtaking as well as her silhouette. She then turned around towards the beach and dove in the ocean with what Drew considered to be a perfect dive.

He took that as his cue. He closed the book, he hadn't even read a word of and headed back to the cantina to help Carmen and her brothers prepare for the evening and night.

He was coming through the kitchen towards the service door, with a few boxes of alcohol in his arms when the door swung open and Hailey walked in.

"Here, let me hold the door for you", she said seeing he was carrying a somewhat heavy load.

Her hair was still damp, and she was smiling.

"Thanks", he said simply as he passed parallel to her, so that the boxes could fit through the door. When he did so, he smelled a mix of sea salt, sand, sun and vanilla and that along with the lack of distance between them, was intoxicating, heightening all his senses and a surge of desire.

Hailey watched him through the service door window as he put the bottles away behind the bar, there was something about him that she found attractive and sexy, the kind of blasé bad boy attitude that he had, not without saying that he had an amazing body. Suddenly, she realized that his relaxed attitude had changed to one of someone who was being bothered by something. She changed her angle and realized it wasn't something, but more someone… the blonde bimbo. Hailey rolled her eyes. She could hear that Drew was trying hard to send her off in a very gentleman like manner, saying he wasn't interested, but she apparently wasn't very quick-witted and kept trying.

"Look Doll, I'm not interested alright", said Drew still putting bottles away.

"But you were interested last night", said the blonde fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"Yeah well that was last night, today is today. Go find some other guy".

"It's you I want", answered the bimbo trying to openly seduce him.

Drew turned around ready to raise his tone of voice, when the service door swung open and Hailey came in barefoot and dressed only in her bikini. Drew blinked a couple of times, not fully grasping what she was doing there. He watched every inch of her body move as she walked over to him and get closer. She had a look that he knew he would never forget, it was a look of passion and desire. She stopped in front of him and hooked her hands behind his neck and, simultaneously brought her face towards his, as she pulled his closer to hers.

When her lips touched his, he felt a wave of heat and shivers surge throughout his body at the same time. He instinctively put his arms around her and pulled her in closer. Caught in the moment of it all, he parted his lips and let his tongue touch her salty lips. For what seemed like a brief second, she parted her lips and let his tongue caress hers.

Hailey felt herself go into a tailspin, her heart was pounding in her chest and she was getting hot. It was one thing to pretend, but it was starting to feel way too real. She slowly pulled back and looked into his eyes. They were fixed on hers and inquisitive.

"Can you help me move in some of my things into your apartment, babe"? she said as she disconnected her burning body from his.

"Sure thing, Luv", he answered. He looked as the blonde walked away, clenched fists and fuming.

Hailey walked through the service door and he followed in suit. When he was on the other side of it, she had picked up her dress, sandals and beach bag and was walking away. He gently grabbed her elbow.

"What the hell was that"?

She turned and looked at him and gently brushed his hand off her elbow. "I just did you a big favor. Don't go reading too into it".

With that she pivoted and disappeared out of his sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Drew didn't see Hailey until the cantina started getting packed. As she had the night before, she had come to fetch her black waist apron whilst he was serving drinks. He hadn't been able to talk to her since she had pulled that stunt on him earlier and it had left him incomplete and somewhat confused.

By midnight, the place was in full effervescence. There was music and the alcohol was flowing, but regardless of how many people were in the cantina, both he and Hailey managed to keep up with the demand and keep the customers happy. Carmen went from table to table, mingling and easily manipulating them into buying and drinking more.

He often noticed that Hailey talked to a group of 5 Mexicans, they seemed to know each other, and Drew deducted that they were regulars. It was the only thing he was able to deduct. One of them had the hots for Hailey and each time she would leave their table, he would look at her and make comments to his pals. Being a man, Drew knew what kinds of comments they were making, and he didn't like it. He found it vulgar and disrespectful.

Around 1 in the morning, half of the customers had left, and things were a bit quieter. Hailey came to the bar and took the tray with a double round of shots for the 5 men. She walked over under Drew's vigilant eye and served them. As she removed the shot glasses from the tray to the middle of the table, the guy that had been making the comments earlier, took his hand and placed it on Hailey's ass and pinched it. As he had been leaning against the back counter of the bar, Drew took a step forward.

"Rafael, hands off", said Hailey in a low but firm voice as she swept his hand off her butt cheek.

The guy looked at her smiling and winked. As she finished placing the last glass on the table, he proceeded to place his hand in between her legs rather high up, too high for comfort.

"Rafael, I think you've had a bit too much to drink, knock it off", said Hailey as she grabbed his hand and forcefully pushed it away.

Drew took a step in the direction of the bar door, fist clenched.

Rafael laughed as he grabbed Hailey's hand and placed it in a very convenient part of his shorts.

What happened next, launched a series of events that would change Drew and Hailey's relationship.

Hailey slapped Rafael across the face with her free right hand, sending him into a fury. He stood and slapped Hailey across the face so hard that it sent her crashing into a nearby table and chairs, breaking empty glasses along the way and ending up on the floor.

Rafael slowly walked over to her. He was just warming up, but he wasn't expecting was to find Drew in his path as he placed himself between Rafael and Hailey.

Drew looked at him with an icy stare. "Where I come from, we don't sexually aggress women or hit them. And if I were you, I'd leave before I give you a taste of your own medicine, man to man".

Rafael laughed. "What are you going to do gringo? There's five of us and you're alone. Go back behind your bar".

"Ain't happening".

"It's none of your business".

"Actually, it is", said Drew as he kept his eye on Rafael and his friends who had stood and placed themselves like a wall next to Rafael.

"Your business is serving us drinks, so I can finish what I started with this bitch"!

That had been the tipping point for Drew. He punched Rafael in the face, easily and forcefully, sending him stumbling backwards. As he recuperated, his friends tried to neutralize Drew, but he was quicker, smarter and more experienced than they were. He grabbed bottles, chairs, empty trays and anything he could to hit them and bring them to the ground. Realizing that they were no match for him, Rafael's friends, quickly escaped through the front door, leaving Rafael alone. Rafael was beet red from anger and rage. He put his fists up, showing Drew that he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Drew smirked. "Show me what you got", he said as he waved Rafael over to defy him.

Rafael flung his fist at Drew, who caught it without blinking. In one swift move, he was behind Rafael holding his arm behind his back and pushing him out towards the door. Rafael was moaning in pain as Drew gave him the final shove out the door.

"You come back here, and you'll end up with more than just one broken bone"!

With that Drew closed the door and locked it, he walked nonchalantly back to where Rafael had sent Hailey to the floor. She was still down on the floor, still trying to digest everything that had happened. He knelt in front of her and quickly looked her over. Her lip and nose were bleeding, and her left thigh more than it should have been.

"Are you alright"? he asked as he looked at her thigh closer.

"Uh huh… I think so". She put her hands down on the floor indicating that she was going to stand up when he stopped her. She was apparently in such a state of shock that she hadn't even noticed that she was bleeding.

"You've got pieces of glass in your left thigh. You shouldn't walk until we get them out".

She removed her eyes from his and looked down at her leg. "Shit"!

She watched him as he took off his t-shirt and use it as a tourniquet just above her wound. She tried really hard not to, but it was nearly impossible for her not to look at his muscular chest and stomach. He stood up and bent over, placing one of his arms underneath her legs and the other around her back. He picked her up from off the floor so easily it struck her. He had been in a brawl with 5 guys and picked her up and he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"What are you doing"? she asked as they headed towards the kitchen door.

"I don't trust Mexican medicine. The last thing you need is an infection".

When they arrived at the second floor, he turned left in the direction of his room. He opened the door with the hand that was under her legs and placed her delicately on his bed. As he went to close the door and turn on the light, she looked around. There wasn't much to see. He had just as much furniture as she had. A pile of books was on the dresser next to a laptop, a pair of sunglasses and a set of keys. He too lived simply apparently.

She turned her attention back to him as he brought the chair next to the bed and a flashlight, that she had no idea from where it had come from.

Drew looked at the wound meticulously from all angles and then stood.

"I'll be right back".

She heard him scurry down the stairs and then back up less than five minutes later. In his hands, a pair of latex gloves, that Santos wore when handling food, a first aid kit, a bottle of vodka and needle nose pliers, that she had seen before underneath the bar, in a tool box.

Her eyes opened wide upon seeing the artillery he had come back with, yet she didn't move an inch. There was something about his tranquil and collected attitude that made her feel safe.

He slipped his hands in the gloves and took the flashlight again.

"You've got 2 big shards of glass and three smaller ones, no major vein or artery seems to have been touched, its safe to take them out", he said without looking at her.

"Are you a doctor by day and a bartender by night"? she asked trying to remain calm through humor.

"No. But I've seen a lot of these kinds of wounds".

"Where? At war"?

He looked up at her.

"I saw how you hit those guys, you don't learn that in high school".

"You could say that, yeah".

He leaned towards the desk, and grabbed the bottle of Vodka, he opened it and handed it to Hailey.

"This is a bottle of Spirytus Delikatesowy, a Polish Vodka almost a 100% proof alcohol. Take a sip, it'll take the edge off".

Hailey looked at the bottle. "I don't drink".

He looked at her in disbelief. "Cut the crap and take a fucking sip, this is going to hurt like hell".

"I just told you I don't drink! I come from a long line of alcoholics alright, so thanks but no thanks".

It all started to make sense to him, her Coke Zero the other night. Yet it pained him, because he knew that what he was about to do wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

"You might want to find something you can bite into. Personally, I'd prefer not waking Carmen up and having to explain what happened, at least not right now".

She grabbed the first thing that was in her reach, his pillow and bit into it as she watched him move the Vodka bottle closer to her leg.

"Do you trust me"? he asked her gently but firmly.

Did she trust him? Trust was a big word but then again, so far, he hadn't done anything for her to not trust him.

She looked at him with soft eyes and nodded. He finally saw, that vulnerability he had suspected when he had seen her on the beach.

He tilted the bottle and the vodka poured itself on her open gash.

He looked at her again as he poured another round. Her jaw was locked tight, her hands had grabbed his bedsheet and she was holding them fist tight. She was moaning from pain and tears were running down her eyes.

"Just breathe threw your nose, in and out. I know it's hard, but try to accept the pain you're feeling, it'll soon all be a distant nightmare".

He took the pliers and removed all the shards. When he was done, he saw her fists loosen and release the bed sheet. At that moment, he thought about her clenching his bedsheets but for an entirely other reason.

He opened the first aid kit and placed a sterile gauze pad over the wound then wrap a bandage around her thigh. He removed the gloves and threw them in the garbage bin.

Hailey removed the pillow and looked at it, it had a few blood stains on it. She looked at Drew with a mix of worry and apology.. it was his pillow after all.

He looked at her. She was still breathing heavily, but it was slowly getting back to normal. He grabbed a sterile disinfecting pad and wet it with some of the saline solution from the first aid kit. He shifted from the chair to her side on the bed and wiped and cleaned the blood away from her nose and mouth. She kept quiet, but he could tell she was watching every single one of his moves.

As his fingers accidently brushed her lip, she shivered, and he noticed.

"Are you cold"? he asked genuinely concerned and worried she could be in a state of shock.

"A little", she answered, knowing it was a lie. Her body was burning.

He rose to his feet and took one of the blankets from his wardrobe.

"I should go back to my room", she said as he did so.

"You should stay here. I'd like to keep an eye on that wound for a couple of hours".

"I don't mean to burden you, I'm sure I'll be fine".

"You're not being a burden". He paused for a moment. "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot yesterday and I'm sorry. But that injury needs to be checked regularly, please stay".

She said nothing but simply nodded.

He helped her settle down in his bed and covered her.

He grabbed one of his books then sat down on the chair.

"You're not going to sleep"? she asked.

He smiled at her. "I'll sleep tomorrow".

"Drew"?

"Yeah"?

"Thanks for coming to my rescue back there and for taking care of me".

He gave her a genuine smile. "I owed you one. Let's just say we're even", he said as he winked at her.

It made his heart skip a beat when he saw her blush.

"I think we're far from even", she said as she closed her eyes.

Very quickly, her breathing become more regular and he knew she was sound asleep.

He grabbed his laptop and turned it on. He entered his password and went for a very specific program on it. He typed something and then looked at the screen.

The pointer was on the execute button and his finger was on the touch pad. He looked at her then back at the screen again. He tapped his finger on the touch pad sending the software the command to search anything and everything that had to do with Hailey Wade. He needed to and wanted to know everything about her, even the things he felt she would never tell him.


	4. Chapter 4

When Hailey woke up, it was around 11. She didn't have to search her mind as to her whereabouts, it was obvious, his scent was hanging all over the bedsheets that covered her. Yet, the pain emerging from her left thigh brought back the real reason why she was asleep in his bed. She lifted the sheet and looked at her wound. The bandage looked fresh and clean. She used the force of her arms to sit up and scanned the room. The garbage was filled with a few blood-stained bandages, indicating that Drew had changed them a couple of times throughout the night and wee hours of the morning. There was something almost exciting about the fact that she had abandoned her body over to him and that he'd done it without her knowing it. She leaned over to the right side of the bed and saw him asleep, in just a pair of boxer shorts.

Feeling awkward about being in his room as he slept, she opted to return to her room. She let her legs drop to the side of the bed and tried to stand. The pain, as she put the weight on her left leg, shot through her entire body causing her to wince. Pushing through the pain, she took a few steps which, was a bad idea. She knocked, her left thigh, into his desk, cutting her breath short. To support her, she placed her hand on the desk next to his opened laptop. The shift in motion brought the screen to life and a picture of her appeared. She looked at it aghast. She scrolled down and found everything there was to know about her, almost everything. Her heart sank, he was spying on her.

"It's not what you think", she heard coming from the other side of the bed.

Still supporting herself on the desk, she turned her head and saw Drew standing in the exact spot where he had been asleep.

She said nothing as she stood up, trying to act strong, and walked the two steps that separated her from the door. He tried to reach as before she opened it but failed as she started limping out in the hallway towards her room. He followed her.

"Hailey"? he asked, almost begging her to stop.

She tightened her jaw, not only out of anger but out of excruciating pain. Suddenly, her knee buckled, and her leg gave way underneath her. Drew caught her just in time in his strong arm and muscular chest.

"I've got this. Let me go, Drew"!

It was obvious that she was angry and in hindthought he could understand why.

"Are you always this stubborn"? he asked her as he picked her up carefully in his arms and she tried to push him.

"Do you always spy on people"? she slithered out to him with such venom, it stung.

He carried her back to his bed against her most insistent protests.

"You're bleeding, stop acting like a spoiled brat"!

She looked at her thigh, and the bandage was soaked in blood.

"You know that's an invasion of privacy, I could get you arrested".

Drew said nothing as he proceeded to change her bandage.

"You could have just asked, you know".

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, communicating is not my strong point".

Her anger softened as she looked at him.

"I would have told you what you wanted to know".

He looked at her doubtful. "Really"?

She nodded.

He sat on the chair and looked at her. "Hailey Wade is not your real name is it"?

She blinked a couple of times. "Why do you say that"?

"Hailey Wade died in 1983 and there is no birth certificate in that name with anyone around you age. Why lie"?

She wet her dry lips and pinched them together for a second. "For my own protection", she said simply as she bent her head down, almost like someone guilty of a crime.

His protectiveness went into action. He sat down again next to her and gently raised her chin with two of his fingers.

"Are you in danger? Is that why you came to Cancun"? he asked looking deep into her soul through her amazing almond shaped brown eyes.

"It's not why I came to Cancun, but if people were to find out who I really am, then yes, I could be in danger. You must think I'm a terrible person".

He shook his head. He was doing the same thing.

"No, I don't think you're a terrible person. If anything, I understand".

"What do you mean"?

"My name isn't Drew Riley, either. And let me reassure you, I'm not a murderer and I'm not running away from the Feds or anything like that".

"Then what are you running away from"?

"My past".

She seemed to think and try to put different things into place in her head. "It has to do with the way you handled those guys last night, doesn't it"?

"Why do you say that"?

"Because, even if I asked if it was in the Army, I've seen guys fight and defend themselves like you did last night. Those techniques have nothing do with what they teach you in the Army".

She was smart, he knew she was getting closer to who he truly was, and he was afraid she would never speak to him or get close to him ever again.

"Either you are a mercenary or you're a hitman. And seeing the way you act and the things you do, I think you're the latter".

He lifted his eyebrow and congratulated her internally.

"How do you know that"? he asked curious.

"Because, you are exactly the kind of man I've been warned against".

"Good looking and charming bloke"?

"No, the kind of man who could use me to get to my family".

So that was the story.

"Look, I promise you, I'm wasn't sent here for you. On the contrary, I came here, just like you, to be someone else and stop this crazy life, I no longer want".

He put his hand out and smiled at her. "Arthur Bishop".

She smiled back naturally. The name suited him way better than Drew Riley. She took his hand in hers. "Julia VanKirk, it's a pleasure to meet you Arthur".

"The pleasure is all mine Julia".

He closed his eyes for a moment and realized the reason behind her fake identity. "Vankirk as in VanKirk Consolidated"?

She shook her head. "Now, you understand why".

And he did, Gideon VanKirk was a businessman who had created an empire based on oil, gold, real estate and buying out numerous companies. He was worth billions of dollars and his daughter along with it.


	5. Chapter 5

A week had gone by since that day, where he found out who Hailey really was. He hadn't seen her much as she had spent the week at her day job, which he found out was being the PA for a project manager at Cross Consolidated. As the days went by, he realized that he was longing to see her and spend time with her. When she returned from work during the weekdays, he was already way too busy tending the bar and when he was done, it was way too late to stop by her apartment and talk. He was happy when Friday rolled in and that Julia would take her shift. His hope had disappeared when Miguel had told him he was filling in for her, as she had a company event that night.

She walked into the cantina, on that Friday night at half-past one. She was wearing a black halter dress and black high heels. She was stunning and took his breath away as her eyes locked on his and she smiled at him. She walked over to the bar, not giving the only three people left in the cantina, even a look, only keeping her eyes on him, giving him her full attention and he felt on top of the world. She sat down on the stool and placed her clutch on the bar.

"How was your party"? he asked as he leaned in over the bar.

"Boring as hell, but when duty calls, you do what you've got to do. In all honesty, I would have preferred spending my evening here".

"I think we'd all agree with you on that one".

He disappeared momentarily underneath the bar and came back up with a can of Coke Zero in his hand. "We don't generally serve soft drinks, but I think we could make an exception for you", he said as he winked.

"I appreciate the gesture", she said as she took it, popped the can open and took a sip.

"Buenos noche Drew, Hailey", said the last three customers as they headed towards the door. Julia and Arthur waved at them and he went around the bar to lock the door behind them. He turned off the main lights, leaving on the ones around the bar on.

"Tough night"? she asked him.

He shrugged. "Let's just say that Miguel is less pleasant to look at".

Julia laughed softly and bit her lower lip, visibly nervous.

She took another sip then stood. "I think I'm going to call it a night, goodnight Arthur".

"Same here", he said as he placed the contents of the days sales in the safe and shut the lights. He trailed behind her silently and watched each inch of her body move as she walked towards the staircase then up the stairs. He only had one desire, kiss her, remove that dress from her body and show her how much he was attracted to her and how much he wanted her.

She stopped once they reached the hallway. "'Night".

She took a step towards her apartment and his hand grabbed her elbow, forcing her to turn towards him. He pinned her against the wall and she looked at him breathlessly. When his mouth took hers, this time, she welcomed his tongue without restraint, and he heard her muffled moan of pleasure. Still with his mouth on hers, his hands wandered down to her breasts. He could feel her body being pulled in towards his by an invisible magnetic field and he felt himself harden.

He lifted the bottom of her dress up to her waist and let his hand graze the hem of her black lace thong. He let it glide all the way down in between her legs and rubbed her pubis. In response she dug her hands in his hair and removed her derriere from the wall against his hand, welcoming his massage. Her head and entire body was on fire as he removed his lips from hers and they stared into each other's eyes, wanting to make sure that they both wanted the same thing. His masculine odor of desire and how he was somehow dominating her, turned her on.

He removed his hand from her and she panicked momentarily, thinking that he was going to put an end to their intense and heated foreplay, something she didn't want. But when she felt his form, demanding hands on her derriere and he lifted her fears disappeared. He kissed her again as he walked to his apartment and closed the door behind him, with a kick of the foot. Still with her in his arms, against his burning body, he sat down on the chair with her straddled over him. He had a hard time containing his urge to make love to her, for once in his life, he wanted it to be more than just 'sex'. He needed a connection, he needed it to mean something, he wanted it to be different.

She grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up over his head and tossed it aside. She stared at his chest as her hands caressed it. He watched her as she did so and the touch of her hands on his bare skin was enticing. He placed his head in the nook of her neck and kissed it softly. His hands went to the back of her dress as he unhooked the halter strap and in turn lifted the dress over her head, revealing what he had been eager to see, knowing full well that she wasn't wearing a bra.

She shivered, not from the cold, but from the adrenaline rush and what she was in anticipation of. She closed her eyes as his mouth consumed her breast. His tongue worked magic as it circled around her nipple, almost teasing it, before he finally decided to give it all the attention. When he gently bit it and tugged at it, she closed her eyes and abandoned herself to the mix of pleasure and pain. As he did the same to the other, she let her hand wander down his abdomen and felt how intensely he wanted her.

The scent of vanilla on her skin, the way her nipples were hardening each time his tongue stroked them and the fact that her hand was on him made him want to lose complete control. Everything in his life was about control and when he didn't control things, they went wrong. There was no way he was going to mess this up.

He felt her shift and pull away. She stood and removed her black thong under his eager stare, she could have come, just by the way he was looking at her, it was that intense. He took her hands in his and pulled her towards him, still standing. Her legs were spread apart on each side of his. He kissed her stomach then down until he found it. His mouth closed around it and she shuddered. When his tongue took over, she threw her head back and grabbed his shoulders in order to steady herself. He felt how desperately she wanted him as his fingers discovered her.

He gently pushed her away and stood in turn. He removed his black linen pants and his boxer pants and sat back down. He observed her as she knelt between his legs and when she took him, it was his turn to throw his head back at the perfection and intensity of the moment. Even if he was more than enjoying every minute of the pleasure she was giving him, he wanted her more than anything else. He wanted to have their bodies become one, he wanted to feel the use of his skin on hers.

Had she been any other woman, he would have pulled her up powerfully, but not her.

"Come here gorgeous", he said as he caressed her hair.

Gazing into his eyes, she straddled him and let him delicately slide into her. As he moved inside her, he caressed her back, kissed her, placed his hands on her hips and occasionally let his finger trail down to give her, more than she could take, pleasure.

Julia had never had sex like that with any man before and it was intoxicating. Their bodies were in sync, they were taking their time, letting the pressure grow more and more intense, then letting it fall again, to let it pick up to a culminating point. As he deepened and quickened his pace, she could feel it rise within her gradually and intensely at the same time. Seeing she was on the verge of extasy, he kept going until he saw her put her head back and let out a moan of extreme pleasure. He only gave her a few seconds before resuming his pace and within minutes he let out a groan of rapture.

He pulled her against him as they caught their breaths and as their glistening bodies combined to make one, he knew that this was the way he wanted it to be from now on in his life.

He stood from the chair with her on him and laid her down on his bed as he gently removed himself from her. She scooted over to give him some space on the bed, which was way smaller than hers. When he was on his back, he opened his arm, inviting her in. She placed her body against his, put her head on his chest and fell asleep to his caress on her arms and shoulder. He too fell asleep quickly, most probably the fastest he had in a very long time.


	6. Chapter 6

Julia woke up to Arthur's gently caress over her body. When she opened her eyes, he was laying on his side, next to her. He greeted her with a charming smile and kissed her.

"Good morning gorgeous".

"Good morning. What time is it"?

"A little after nine", he answered as he looked at his watch.

"Did you have something planned today"? he asked as he caressed her face.

"Nothing set in stone. Did you have something in mind"? she asked as her fingers traced down his muscular chest, down his abs and under the sheets.

He wasn't the slightest bit surprised that at the single touch of her hands on his body, that his body reacted the way it did. He desired her, wanted her and needed her. He felt that with her he could wipe clean the slate of everything he had done.

He gave her a crooked but sexy smile. "I'll tell you when I'm done making love to you"!

He placed himself over her and made love to her more passionately and intensely than he had done the night before or to any other woman.

Later, that morning, after having showered and gotten dressed they walked through the cantina hand in hand, as Miguel and Carmen looked at them smiling.

He led her down an alley on the side of the cantina and removed a dirty rag revealing a motorcycle. She watched as he got on the bike and brought the engine to life, revving it. He turned it around and stopped alongside Julia.

She looked at him, he looked so damn sexy.

"Hop on", he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we be wearing helmets"?

"Gorgeous, I promise, I won't let anything happen to you".

He took her hand in his and helped her get on. She wrapped her arms around his waist, a feeling that made him feel like the luckiest man walking on the face of the Earth.

They rode heading south, along side the beach and ocean for almost two hours and reached Tulum. She'd heard of the place but had never been. He passed the busiest beaches and then stopped the bike. He took her hand in his and led her down to the beach, then past a few rocks.

She stopped as they reached the bottom of the rocks and looked around at the beauty of the alcove it had led to.

She took the backpack off her back and opened it. When she had placed the beach towels down on the white, silky sand, she removed her shorts and t-shirt revealing a simple black but sexy two-piece bikini.

She looked at him as he eyed her with a desiring stare. "What"?

"It should be a crime to look that beautiful".

He sprinted after her and she ran from him laughing. He caught up with her in no time and lifted her up in his arms. He carried her towards the ocean as they kissed. Once they were in the water, he let her down but kept her close as they let themselves being rocked by the waves.

"Why did you drop everything and leave"? he asked her.

She looked at him. "Apparently you've never been rich".

He had more money than she could imagine, that was what being a hitman was. "Tell me".

She looked out at the horizon than back at him. "Growing up, it was great. The big house, the clothes, the parties, feeling like you are untouchable. When I was a teenager, my mother drowned in the pool. She had been drinking and fell and hit her head. My father never cried, on the contrary, he was away on business more than he'd ever been".

He caressed her cheek in comfort knowing what that must have been like for her. That was where her vulnerability came from. Having lost one parent and felt as though she had lost another along with it.

"My biggest wish was to get out of there as quickly as I could, but my father refused that I go to UCLA and I ended up going to NYU, my every single move scrutinized. When I got out of business school, he put me at his side in the company, thing I never wanted".

"Cancun was you're way out".

She nodded. "After a couple of years at VanKirk Consolidated, I was suffocating. Everything was about money and power. You have no idea, how many people got fired in the blink of an eye for making a mistaking and making my father loose millions in less than 2 minutes. The shred of humanity I thought my father had left in him, was gone. I didn't want to be a part of that".

"You've got a good heart Julia, most people wouldn't want to walk away from all of that".

"I finally got my father to agree that I come to Cancun with some of my girlfriends for my birthday. When we got here, we were to stay for three weeks. What he didn't know was that it was only two weeks. I staid an extra week on my own. There's when I walked into Carmen's cantina. We became friends. She lived simply, enjoying the simple things that life had to offer. The people here, don't care about money".

"Let me guess the rest of the story, you managed to convince your father to stay here for a couple of years then take the reins of the company. He got you a fake identity and got you a job at Knox Consolidated, which behind the façade is owned by Cross Consolidated"?

She smiled at him. "You're good at your job".

She looked deep in thought as he caressed her shoulders. "What's on your mind"?

"You know, my father often told me that people would kill to take my place. But you know, there are so many things that money can't buy you".

"Well, I'm glad you escaped to Cancun, cause otherwise, I wouldn't be here with you and I agree, that is something I could never buy with money".

He kissed her and undid the knot, in her back, holding her bikini top in place.

They made love to the rhythm of the waves, their bodies in sync with one another, their passion and need mutual. They were abandoning themselves to one another and that too, was priceless.


	7. Chapter 7

As August neared its end and Julia headed home by bus, she realized that she had finally reached a moment in her life where she was fully happy. She and Arthur had a relationship, she had never imagined possible with anyone. She knew it was early and she feared that at one moment in time, she'd let slip the fact that she was falling in love with him, afraid he'd put an end to what they had.

Her mobile phone rang and she picked it up.

"Hello"?

"You haven't sent in your RSVP for tomorrow's yearly business gala", she heard Tommy Knox say.

Tommy Knox was the CEO of Knox Consolidated, her boss' boss and her father's puppet.

"I've got other plans, Tom".

"Well, your father just got to town and requests your presence".

She inhaled and exhaled deeply as the bus stopped. She stood and got off, walking towards La Rosa Negra.

"I guess he's too busy to call me himself".

"Look, I don't ask your father questions, I only do what he asks of me. Make sure you are ready tomorrow by 6, a car will be waiting for you".

"And if I'm don't go"?

She heard Tommy sigh on the other end of the line as she stopped in front of the Cantina.

"Cross is with him, you really want him to come and fetch you"?!

Arthur looked at Julia through the window. He could see that she was on the phone and that something was annoying her.

Julia shook her head. "No. Fine, I'll be there". She turned her head towards the window and saw Arthur smiling at her. "Just tell me Dad that I won't be alone"!

With that she hung up and walked into the cantina and behind the bar. Arthur took her in his arms and kissed her. "Everything alright? You look upset".

"My father is apparently in town, attending tomorrow's gala and has very kindly reminded me that my presence is required".

"I'm sorry. Just grant him your presence for an hour or two then discreetly escape".

"It's not that simple. My father's security is rock solid. But I know how I could be more enjoyable", she said as she leaned into him.

"Oh yeah? How's that"?

"Come with me".

"I don't think that's a good idea".

"Why not? I'm sure you look sexy in a suit, even if I prefer you naked".

He raised an eyebrow at her remark.

"Let's just say, I'm not the kind of guy that girls introduce to their father".

"I've never introduced a guy to my father".

"Then even more the reason not to start with me".

"He could care less you know. He's just doing it to show that he still has power over me and in say with what I do with my life. Arthur, come with me, please"?

He took a step back, bringing suddenly a distance between them. "I can't".

"I'm only worth it when it comes to sex, is that it? That's all this is to you"?

He stared at her, speechless. He could see that she was hurt. She'd never ask anything of him, unlike most people he had known and the one thing she needed, his presence by her side, to escape the reality of her undesired life, he was turning away.

Seeing him not answer, she took a step back herself. "My bad. I thought we had something".

She walked away leaving him tormented and torn.

Julia didn't come work that evening at the cantina and when he'd asked Miguel, who was filling in for her, what was up, he had replied that she was feeling ill. The entire evening, a brunette flirted with him and he let himself play the game. He was trying to convince himself that maybe a relationship with Julia wasn't such a good idea.

When the cantina closed, leaving only the brunette at the bar, he walked over to her and grabbed her. He started kissing her forcefully as she dug her hands in his back. Suddenly, flashes of him and Julia came into his head and how we he felt kissing her, feeling her body against his, the smell of her vanilla skin, the sound of her moaning of pleasure in his ear, the sound of her voice, her laughter, the look she had in her eyes when she was looking at him, the real him.

He immediately pulled away from the brunette and took a step back.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this. I'm with someone".

"If you're with someone and were happy, you wouldn't have done what you just did".

"I'm a fucking jerk who doesn't deserve her. Get out of here".

When he reached the second-floor hallway, he shot a glance towards Julia's door. He could see no light seep through the crack from underneath the door. She must have been asleep. He went into his room and looked at his empty bed. It was the first time, since that fatal night, when he had made love to her for the first time, that she wasn't in it and it made him, suddenly, feel incomplete.

When he woke the following morning, he walked over to Julia's room and knocked on the door.

"Can we talk"?

Seeing there was no answer, he knocked again.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. Come on Luv, open up".

He took a leather case out of his back pocket and opened it. He took out two picks and started to work on the lock. Within seconds he opened the door. Julia's apartment was empty. He closed the door and headed downstairs and stopped into the kitchen, where Santos was busy at his daily tasks of preparing his salsa sauce.

"Have you seen Hailey today"? he asked.

"Sure have, hombre".

"Did she mention where she was going"?

"No. But there was something different about her".

"What do you mean"?

"I don't know, she just wasn't in her usual mood. She seemed sad, hurt even. You two had a fight"?

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"You could say that".

"That's a shame. You two looked good together. Maybe you can patch things up".

"Maybe", said Arthur as he headed towards the cantina and outside to his bike.

When Julia returned to the cantina at half past five, she saw no signs of Arthur, which in the end was probably a good thing. She was heartbroken. She unlocked the door to her room and walked in. Her eyes fell on her bed and she blinked a couple of times as she walked over to it. She opened the package and took out a black dress and contemplated it. It had a light woven fabric, that fell to the floor, with adjustable spaghetti straps, that crossed in the back, and a bodice with gold beads and embroidery. Next to them were black high heels. There was no note and she expected it had been sent over by her father.

Fifteen minutes later, she studied herself and had to admit that it looked great on her even though it wasn't the kind of dress she imagined her father sending her, being more for showy colors. She grabbed her clutch and left her room. What she saw next took her breath away. Leaning against the wall, near the staircase was Arthur. He was wearing an elegant black suit, white button-down shirt and a black tie. He was sexy and charming, and she felt her heart accelerate as he let his eyes roam over her body.

As she seemed frozen in the middle of the corridor, he walked over to her, hands in his pant pockets, giving her the smile that drove her wild. He stopped in front of her.

"I had the feeling it would suit you well, but this definitely exceeds what I had imagined. You are simply stunning", he said.

It became evident, that he was behind the dress and not her father and it touched her. She was still partially mad at him, but the gesture and the fact that he was standing there, dressed as he was, she knew he was trying to redeem himself and fix things.

"You look handsome", she said trying to break the ice and take a step in his direction of patching things up.

He removed his hands from his pockets and cupped her face. "You're right, there is something here and it goes way beyond sex. Don't ever insinuate that it's the case. And I'm going to make sure you realize that".

She nodded and let him kiss her. The way he did, simply enhanced and made evident that what he had just told her were not just simple words, they had all their meaning.

He pulled away and looked at his watch. "We should get going, we don't want to keep your father waiting".

She smiled and followed him down the staircase. He waited for her at the bottom of it than took her hand in his as they headed through the kitchen. Santos and Miguel smiled as they walked passed them and the few patrons that were in the cantina, eyed him with such envy that it boosted his ego. She was his and he felt damn good about it.

When they pulled up in the limousine, in front of Knox Consolidated, twenty minutes later, the building and its surroundings were extremely busy, with people arriving. When they walked inside the building, they were immediately greeted by two men in suits with earpieces.

"Good evening Miss VanKirk", said one of them. He was in his forties and had a firm build.

"Good evening Connor", replied Julia. She looked at the other guy. "Wes".

The younger guy greeted her with a simply nod of acknowledgement.

Connor looked Arthur over. His eyes stopped momentarily on their hands holding, but he said nothing.

"Your father prefers if you take the service elevator. Follow me".

Julia and Arthur followed them down a hallway far away from the main lobby and its elevators, the ones Arthur imagined Julia take every day of the week to come to work. It was odd being here, in her other world and knowing how she was when she was at the cantina or with him, it was hard to imagine her working here. As they walked, he could feel her tense up.

"Connor"? she asked worriedly.

"Yes"?

"What Defcon are we at"?

Arthur looked at her puzzled. He knew what Defcon was and what it entailed.

"You needn't worry about that", replied Connor stoically.

"I beg to differ. You have me going up through a service elevator. What's going on"?

Seeing that Connor wouldn't respond, annoyed Arthur.

The service elevator doors opened, and they walked inside. "I think the lady asked you a question".

Connor looked at Arthur with dark, menacing eyes then turned his attention to Julia with a much softer look. "We're at DefCon 3".

Arthur felt Julia's hand tighten his. "Why"?

"We've been receiving some threats concerning your father's safety and yours. But as I said earlier, you needn't worry, everything is under control, this is just precautionary measures".

When the service elevator doors opened on to the penthouse, they could hear the mix of music and people talking. A tall guy in his mid-thirties, around Julia's age, was waiting for them. He too was wearing a suit and earpiece and through the bulge of his suit, Arthur knew he was carrying a holster and a gun.

His eyes slithered up and down Julia's body and Arthur didn't like it. There was something in the way her was looking at her that made him feel like putting this guy in his place.

"Julia you are a sight for sore eyes", said he guy as he smiled at her.

Julia paid no attention to his comment. "Jake, I'd like you to meet Drew Riley".

Jake looked at Arthur but said nothing. He nodded to one of his guys who stood in front of Arthur.

"I need to check you", said the guy pulling Arthur to the side. Arthur let go of Julia's hand and let the guy frisk him.

"He's clear", said the guy looking at Jake.

Jake raised an eyebrow as he saw Arthur put his arm around Julia's waist, protectively.

Connor leaned in towards Jake. "She knows about Defcon 3", he whispered in his ear.

Jake looked at Connor first, apparently upset that Connor had given her that information. Then he looked at Julia in a reassuring way.

"You don't need to worry. We've got an extraction plan in place if need be. But I'm sure we won't need to use it. My eyes will be on you at all times".

Arthur's protective instinct kicked in. "I've got that covered".

"In case you didn't know, this woman is worth billions, so leave that job to me".

Arthur gave him a fake smile, that translated into 'fuck off asshole'.

When they walked into the main part of the penthouse, they toppled over into another dimension. Champagne was flowing in excess, men and women were dressed in the most expensive attires and the place reeked money, lots of it. It was something that Arthur had always hated, the fact that rich people seemed to think they were better than others, that they were above the law. He loved Julia even more for not wanting to be a part of that world.

They headed towards a group of people. Upon seeing her walk their way, they discreetly excused themselves and left.

A man in his late sixties, white haired and wearing a three-piece suit, was holding a glass of whisky in his right hand a Cuban cigar in his left, Walter VanKirk. He gave a smile upon seeing Julia.

He opened his arms and hugged his daughter. "You look marvelous, darling. Although I would have rather seen you in red".

"Good evening, father. I'll keep that in mind for the next gala".

It was obvious that there was a certain distance between them, thing that wasn't a surprise as he had never been present in her life.

Her father said nothing and took a sip of his whiskey.

"I'd like you to meet Drew Riley".

Walter looked at Arthur. "Yes, Knox mentioned you'd be with someone". He put his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Riley".

Arthur shook his hand and Walter raised an eyebrow.

"That's quite a hand-shake you've got there. I like that".

A man came to whisper something in Walter's ear then step aside. "I hope we'll have the opportunity of getting to know each other later, I must say you are the first man my daughter has introduced to me, but I need to tend to some business first".

He waved Connor over. "Please show Mr. Riley to my office in fifteen minutes".

Connor nodded as did Arthur.

When they walked away, Julia placed her hand on Arthur's chest. "Don't le my father intimidate you".

He took his hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. "You should know me well enough to know that I don't get intimidated".

"Let's go get a drink, I'm thirsty".

He smiled at her. "They serve soft drinks here"?

She laughed as they headed towards the bar.


	8. Chapter 8

As they were talking to some people, Connor came and fetched Arthur. He kissed Julia and left her in her conversation. He looked around and saw Jake Cross a few feet away, doing his job of watching over her.

When Julia excused herself from the group ten minutes later, Jake followed her as she headed towards the hall where her father's office was.

"Julia?"

She turned and looked at him. "Relax Jake, I'm only going to the bathroom".

He stopped at the beginning of the corridor and watched as she headed towards the bathroom.

As she headed towards the bathroom, she passed in front of her father's office. The door was ajar, and she could hear her father talking in an angry voice, which puzzled her, knowing exactly that Arthur was in there with him.

She placed her hand on the knob as she shot a look in Jake's direction, he was busy looking at his phone.

"I don't specifically like to be crossed. I'm paying you to keep an eye on her Bishop, not sleep with her"!

Upon hearing every single word that came out of her father's mouth, Julia's entire body started to shake as she quietly pushed the door open. Her father was sitting at his desk and looking at Arthur who was standing his back to the door, looking out the window.

"Things don't always go according to plan. You asked me to watch over her and I'm doing just that".

Her father sighed.

"Just keep your hands off and your pants on".

Arthur, started to turn around. He was about to protest and tell Walter that he was in love with Julia, when something caught his attention, his heart sank.

"Julia"!

Walter turned as well.

"You bastard! You lied to me! You must have really gotten a kick out of it huh, seeing me fall for you, screwing me over and over again"!

"Julia! That's enough"! yelled Walter as he stood.

A tear rolled down her eye as she kept them on Arthur who took a step in her direction.

"You're right father, it's enough. Stay away from me. Both of you"!

She left the office and slammed the door shut.

"I hope you're happy now"! threw Walter at Arthur.

"You may think that low of me that I would sleep with your daughter as part of an assignment, but it's not the case".

"Perhaps but you should never mix business with pleasure, Mr. Bishop".

Arthur grabbed the door handle. "Trust me Mr. VanKirk, it wasn't my intention. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some explaining to do".

At that moment, Jake, Connor and Wes walked into the office.

"We've got a problem".

Arthur looked and them and realized that whatever it was, it was bad.

"Julia's gone".

Walter stood. "That's impossible, you were supposed to keep an eye on her, Cross"!

"She went to the bathroom, I highly doubt you wanted me to follow her in there".

Connor looked at them. "How did she manage to leave the building without us noticing it"?

"She's smart, she knows this building like the back of her hand, the protocol and you guys are way too predictable", said Bishop as he walked over to Jake. "You've outdone yourself this time Cross".

"Bite me Bishop. At least, I know how to keep my distance and my hands off the goods"!

Arthur punched him in the face.

"Gentlemen"! said Walter as he stood from behind his desk. "You can handle your feud later. Right now, you've got to find my daughter".

Arthur dug his hands in his pockets. "There's nothing I'd like more, but you've just ruined any chance of my doing that, because unfortunately, I'm not the one she's going to run to for comfort or shelter".

"I don't care what it takes, you… all of you find her"!


	9. Chapter 9

When Cross, his team and Arthur arrived in the parking lot, they headed over to a group of black SUVs.

Arthur walked over to another car, a Ford Mustang.

"Bishop, we shouldn't split up", said Jake.

"I work solo, Cross. Besides, you know nothing of Julia's habits".

Cross threw his hands up in the air. "Suit yourself, the first one that finds her, calls VanKirk".

Arthur opened the door of the car and revved the engine and was the first to leave the underground parking lot of Knox Consolidated.

He drove fast and dangerously towards the cantina.

He stormed inside, ignoring Santos and Miguel and hurried through the kitchen, then up the staircase to Julia's door.

At first, he knocked on it, then when she didn't open, he kicked the door in.

He turned the light on and noticed that Julia's clothes were scattered all over the room and her dress and shoes were tossed in a corner of the room. It was evident that she had come back here, taken a few things and had left.

He was about to exit her room, when something caught his attention on her desk. He walked over and took the picture frame in his hands. It was a picture of the two of them that someone had taken of them as they were leaving Tulum, after their escapade on the secluded beach. Both were smiling and seemed like they were a long-lasting couple in love.

He caressed the photo. "Where are you Julia"?

Julia entered the room. It smelled a mix of old closed closet and mold. She dropped her backpack on the bed and sat at the end of it, looking at the mirror on the wall. She slid off the bed and landed on the floor. She grabbed her head in her hands and started to cry. All of it had been a lie, he had used her and lied to her and she felt not only hurt, but betrayed and humiliated. And the fact that she had truly fallen in love with him didn't help.

"Hi, you've reached Hailey. I can't take your call right now but leave a message"!

"Julia, where are you? It's not what you think. Just let me know where you are, and I can explain everything. You are not safe".

Arthur hung up feeling desperate. It was already the third time he was trying to call Julia since he had left Walter. He knew why she wasn't picking up, she was pissed off and hurt. If only she could give him a chance, she'd realize that his feelings for her were true.

He walked to his room and turned on his laptop as he changed out of his suit into more field ready clothes. He tried to geolocate Julia's phone but got an error message, which seemed odd. He knew it wasn't turned off, but something was blocking him accessing her whereabouts. Very quickly he was able to get around Knox Consolidated's firewall and access the security camera footage. He watched as Julia headed down the hall towards the restrooms. Cross did stop her but had left her continue on her way, unattended. He then watched as Julia had gotten closer to her father's office door. Cross was busy looking at his phone but as Arthur looked closer and rewinded the video, he could see that Cross had watched her from the corner of his eye and was smiling.

"Son of a bitch, you knew…", swore Arthur.

And that wasn't the only thing he noticed. Cross knew that Julia had left through the emergency exit and had done nothing to stop her. What the hell was he up to? He could have stopped her, why hadn't he? Instead, he watched as Cross took his mobile phone out and made a phone call. He couldn't make out what he was saying, but reading lips was one of the many talents he had, and his anger went up a notch as he took in what was behind Cross' call.

"The package is on route, round up the guys. The plan is going just as planned".

Arthur grabbed his leather jacket and left the cantina and headed over to talk to Walter.

When he entered Walter's office, the party had ended, and the place was deserted, aside a few security guys that were keeping an eye on Walter. When he walked into Walter's office, he was pacing the floor and smoking another cigar.

Walter turned around and looked at Arthur.

"Have you found Julia"? he asked worriedly.

"No. Have you heard from Cross"?

Walter shook his head.

"Trust me you will".

Walter's eyes lit up. "You think he knows where Julia is"?

"I'm quite sure he does and I'm going to be here when he calls you".

Walter narrowed his eye. There was something in Bishop's voice that he didn't like.

"What are you not telling me"?

"Cross orchestrated everything Walter. If you look at the video surveillance, you'll see that he deliberately let Julia leave the building".

"What? Why? Why would he do that"?

"He told me himself and now his words are clear to me".

"What did he say"?

"He reminded me that Julia was worth millions. Think about Walter. Who better to orchestrate something like this than your head of security".

"I don't believe it. Cross has been working for me for years. You're mistaken, he isn't planning on kidnapping Julia".

"I hope you're wrong Walter, because otherwise, this is going to get messy".

Julia was still crying when there was a knock on the door.

"Housekeeping", she heard a woman's voice say from behind the door.

Julia wiped away the tears from her eyes. "I'm all good thanks".

"Actually, if it's alright with you, I need to give you towels, I haven't had time to finish servicing your room".

Seeing that Julia wasn't answering, the woman continued. "Look, it'll only take a few seconds. If I don't, my boss will kill me".

Julia stood and looked at herself in the mirror. "Just a second". She put her spaghetti strap top in place and wiped away the mascara that had run around her eyes.

When Julia opened the door, she saw the cleaning lady with a pack of towels in her hands. She was shaking like a leaf. Apparently, she was really scared of her boss and hadn't been lying. Before Julia could grab the towels, the woman was pushed aside by a group of men with guns.

Julia took a step back and discreetly took out her phone from the back pocket of her shorts, keeping it in her hand, hidden behind her back.

The guys walked into the room and put themselves to the side, still with their guns aimed at her proudly. She felt more than uncomfortable as their stare on her grew into desire and some licked their lips and made vivid comments in Spanish.

Seeing Jake walk in, she gave a sigh of relief.

"Fucking hell, Jake! Subtle much"!?

Jake looked at some of the guys. "Secure the area and let them know we have the package and we'll be there in fifteen minutes". Jake then looked at her, but there was something different about the way he was looking at her and took a step in her direction.

She took a step back.

"I have to hand it to Bishop", said Jake as he placed himself in front of Julia. "He made things rather easy. At first, I had no idea at how, I was going to get you out of the building".

Julia's eyes widened.

"I knew your father wasn't pleased about how close Bishop was getting to you and I knew he would bring it up eventually. How happy I was that you just so happen to walk in front of that office door when you did".

Julia started to shake in both fear and anger.

"So? That was your plan? Make me hate Bishop, so that you could swoop in and fix my broken heart and win my dad's good graces"?

He lifted his hand and started to trace the contour of Julia's face with it.

"Oh no Julia, that would never have worked. There is no man good enough for daddy's little girl. I've been working for your father for the past ten years, putting my life on the line for him and for you… and for what, never a thank you, no gratitude and being underpaid for it".

Julia slapped away his hand, defying him, which was something that both excited and aggravated him.

He slapped Julia, harder than that guy Rafael had done, luckily this time, she had the bed to soften her fall, as the force of his slap sent her in a 180-degree spin and tumble.

"Jake what are you doing man"? she heard Wes say.

She felt the air move behind her as Jake pivoted to look at Wes.

Her face stinging, she looked at her phone that was still in her hand, she had three missed calls from Arthur.

"Wes, this is my operation, you've got a problem with the way I do things, you can leave".

"I thought we were only doing this for the money, Jake. You said no violence, no one gets hurt".

Jake sneered. "There is no such thing, Wes".

"Then I'm out", said Wes.

Julia tapped on her phone to recall Arthur's number. She jumped as she heard a gunshot go off.

"Anyone else want out of this operation? I still have a few bullets in my gun".

Julia closed her eyes understanding that he had shot Wes in cold blood.


	10. Chapter 10

Arthur looked at his phone and picked up just as he heard a gun go off. He put the phone down on Gideon's desk and put it on speaker phone, as he put his finger to his lips, indicating to Gideon to keep quiet.

"Anyone else want out of this operation? I still have a few bullets in my gun".

Jake took a step towards the bed and leaned over Julia.

She discreetly dragged the phone off the bed and on the floor between her knees, hoping no one would notice.

Still hanging over her, he turned his head and looked at the guys. "We're leaving".

Arthur heard feet shuffling and counted. There must have been about six men in the room and most probably another six, surveilling the area. The door closed.

Jake took out a plastic restraint from his pocket.

"What's the matter Jake? You're afraid I'm going to hit you back"?

Jake pulled her off the bed by the hand restraint and she gently pushed the phone, with her foot, underneath the bed.

"I'm sorry Julia, but I can't take any chances".

There was a momentary silence then he heard the fear in her voice.

"Jake! No! Please don't do this! Stop! No! No! Arthu…."… her voice trailed off before she could finish his name.

"Sleep tight Julia", he heard Jake say as he opened the door. "Get her in the car"!

The door closed again and not another sound or word was heard.

Arthur ended the call and looked at Gideon. "You still think that Cross isn't capable of doing something like this"?

Gideon was pale. "What do we do now"?

Arthur took out a few wires from his phone and hooked it up to Gideon's laptop.

"We're going to listen to that call again".

"Why? We're wasting valuable time Bishop. You've got to find her".

"Right now, I have nothing allowing me to do that Gideon".

He pushed on his phone and the conversation came back on.

"What are we listening for"? asked Gideon.

"Julia called me Gideon, she wanted me to find her".

Arthur closed his eyes, trying to focus on everything that was being said. Suddenly, just as he heard the shuffling of the feet as the men left the room, something made him open his eyes.

Gideon watched Arthur work his magic as he played around with the audio and sound controls and hit play again.

Gideon's eyes grew wide open as he heard his daughter's voice, as clear as if she had been talking normally. "Motel Del Rey, 15".

Arthur stood.

"Where are you going"?

"To the motel. Now I've got something to work with".

"But they're gone".

"Someone will have obviously seen something and you know I work solo. Right now, I don't trust any of the guys working for your security and you shouldn't either".

"Shouldn't you head for the airport or something"?

"It takes a lot of money to fly without a manifest or route. Cross doesn't have that kind of money. He's not going to go to the airport".

"Where is he going to take her"?

"That's exactly what I intend to find out".

"What if he contacts me"?

"I already have that covered. If he calls you, I'll know, if he video conferences with you, I'll be watching".

As Arthur headed out the door, Gideon called out to him. "Is he going to hurt her"?

Arthur wanted to lie, not just for Gideon but also for himself, because there was nothing that would hurt him more than Julia getting hurt, but he knew men like Cross, they would stop at nothing to get what they were after, even more if it was billions of dollars.

"Yes".

"How can you be so sure of such a horrible thing"?

"Because it's what I would do if I were in his shoes".

At that moment, Gideon realized, by simply looking into Arthur's eyes, what he felt for his daughter. "You know, this doesn't change anything in regards to how I feel about your relationship".

"I know. But as far as I'm concerned, billionaire or not, you have no say in how she decides to live her life".

Arthur walked out leaving Gideon more beaten down than he already was.

Arthur took out the gun from the glove compartment of the Mustang and walked over towards room 15. He shot a quick look through the door that was ajar and then walked inside, closing the door behind him. He looked around the room. He knelt and picked up a syringe from the floor. He brought it up to his nose and smelled.

"Propofol. Not taking any chances are you Cross".

He looked at the syringe again and made a quick calculation. Based on the potential dosage he had given her and Julia's approximate weight, she'd be out for three hours, give or take. That meant that wherever he was taking her, couldn't have been more than a two-hour drive from the hotel.

There were two ways of looking at it. Either Cross would choose somewhere populated, to blend in with the crowd or on the contrary somewhere retreated, where no one would bother his operation.

He looked at the bed and could clearly make out where Julia had been. He knelt down and with his hand searched for her mobile phone. He found it and grabbed it. He looked at it for a moment then removed the back panel and took out the battery. There was a microscopic chip that had nothing to do there and he finally understood why he couldn't trace Julia's phone. He placed the chip in his pocket and put the phone back together before grabbing Julia's backpack and placing it inside.

There was nothing else in the room that could help him locate Cross and he had to admit that for once he was at a dead-end.

He left the motel, knowing full well that this kind of place had no cameras and even if someone had seen something, they wouldn't be able to tell him anything he didn't know already.

He drove over to a loft a few streets away from the cantina. He keyed in the code and the door opened. When he closed the door, one by one, the lights turned on throughout the loft, revealing what he considered to be his headquarters. It was filled with weapons and ammunitions, computers and a big white wall to the side that had various pictures of Julia, from the months he followed her, way before he had gotten the job at La Rosa Negra.

He sat behind his computer and pulled up the intelligence file he had on Cross. There was nothing in his background that had led Arthur to believe he was capable of doing something like this. It was personal for Cross. He decided to backtrack as much of Cross' comings and goings, hopefully he had gotten sloppy and a hint as to his whereabouts. It was going to be a long night and no matter how hard he tried to stay focused on the task, his mind often drifted to Julia. There was a part of guilt inside of him. He couldn't help but think, that if he had been fully honest with her, she wouldn't have felt betrayed and never run off like she did, leaving Cross the perfect window of opportunity.


	11. Chapter 11

Somewhere in a deserted warehouse, Julia was starting to wake from her drug induced sleep.

Arthur who was pacing the floor in front of the wall, looking at the different places Cross had been over the past year, stopped pacing as he heard a distant moaning. He walked over towards where his computers were and saw that the one that was synchronized with Gideon's, had come to life, bringing a live video feed. Laying down on a bed was Julia. Her arms were shackled and chained to the wall behind the bed and her legs were just the same at the bedposts.

It took a couple of minutes for her to completely wake up and take in the situation she was in and one was worse, she was there more vulnerable as ever, someone had taken the liberty of removing her top and shorts, leaving her in her bra and tanga. Very quickly the vulnerability dissipated and turned into rage as she tried to free herself from the shackles.

"Jake! You fucking coward"!

Even though the situation wasn't amusing at all, Arthur couldn't help but feel some sort of pride. The fire she had in her that he knew she had, was surfacing and if Cross thought she would go down without a fight, he was wrong.

The door opened and Jake walked in dressed in a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Arthur took snapshots of the video, hoping that an element in the background as the door was opened would help him locate them.

"You are a fucking coward! Are you scared of what I'm going to do to you if my hands aren't tied!? I want my clothes back"!

Jake walked over to the wall next to the bed and leaned against it, his arms crossed at his chest. He was beaming as he looked her over.

"This is not much fun Julia, might as well make the most of it and you have no idea how right now, I'm getting off watching you wrestle half-naked on that bed".

Julie immediately stopped wriggling on the bed trying to free her arms and legs. "You make me sick".

Jake took a step towards the bed and sat next to Julia, placing his hand on her bare leg. "Do I? Am I that different from Bishop? You think he's never done something like this before? What you thought you were special"?

Julia said nothing, she wanted to believe that she had been special but after having heard Arthur talk with her father, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"You know", said Jake as his hand moved slightly up her leg, "I bet you he's watching right now". Jake turned towards the camera. "Aren't you Bishop"?

Jake removed his hand from her leg and she gave a quiet sigh of relief. He then placed a finger on her neck.

"I get it Bishop, I do. How could any man resist her"?

Arthur's blood was boiling as he watched Jake's finger slide down towards Julia's chest, knowing full well she was helpless and couldn't do anything to prevent him from it.

"Such a beautiful body and soft skin".

Jake's finger kept moving down between her breasts, down to her navel and stop at the hem of her tanga, all the while his eyes on Julia.

"Did you moan of pleasure Julia when he was screwing you? Did you scream out his name as he banged you? Before this is over, you'll be screaming my name and it'll feel so good, you'll beg me not to stop"!

He slid his hand inside her tanga and she spit on him. His rage was quick in return as he slapped her across the face and grabbed her throat with his strong and firm hand. She looked at him with a look that Bishop knew too well, the desire to kill.

"I would rather be dead than to give you the satisfaction of hearing me call out your name. Bishop didn't bang me or screw me, Cross, that is where the difference between you and him is. What he did is something you well never be able to do, because you know nothing about love"!

Jake wasn't the only one taken aback by what Julia had just said, Bishop was too. Regardless of what she had heard in her father's office, there was a small chance that she truly believed that he had genuine feelings for her, and he did.

Jake released his hold on her neck.

"Let me guess", said Julia. "Your initial plan was to seduce me, giving you the perfect opportunity to put your plan in motion. But my father didn't trust you, did he? Not enough to have you watch over me. He hired Bishop to do that and it got under your skin and when you saw us holding hands, you knew that he'd beaten you to the pole, it drove you mad. You knew that as long as Bishop was in the picture, things would never go the way you planned and that's why you didn't stop me from going down that hallway, hoping I'd hear something".

She paused for a moment and stared directly at the camera as if she was talking directly to Arthur. "And like a fool I fell right into your trap and Bishop was removed from the equation. And, it's all my fault. I was the one who insisted that he come with me".

Arthur kept working as he watched and listened. He was trying to pinpoint the origin of the video signal.

Jake laughed. "I have to hand it to you Julia, you are really smart. Don't give Bishop too much credit though, either way, it was going to happen tonight. Sure, things would have been easier if he hadn't been by your side, but I knew exactly that your father would never accept a man like Bishop to get involved with his daughter, sleeping with you was not part of the contract".

Jake stood. "You really thought your father, who is so hung up on social appearances, would let his daughter have a serious relationship with a hitman? A criminal? A murderer? How often have I heard you say that money can't buy a lot of things.. let me tell you this, money can buy someone and Bishop would have forgotten about you with the right amount of money".

Julia stared at him, tears in her eyes.

"Hurts doesn't it princess, when you realize that your prince isn't as charming as you think".

He headed to the door and opened it, he waved three guys over. "Get her ready, I want my money"!

He gave one last look at Julia. "If I recall properly, you're a good swimmer. I wonder how long you can hold your breath".


	12. Chapter 12

"Hello Gideon, I believe I have something that means a lot to you. Maybe not as much as it should because we all know you prefer your business, power and money than your own flesh and blood. The question is are you willing to give it up to save Julia"?

Gideon looked at the screen with the video feed. He too had been watching earlier and the simple thought of Jake's hands on his daughter's body or that he could hurt her, was hard to handle.

Arthur left the wall and looked at the screen again. Julia was tied to a long wooden board. A few men were around her and Arthur recognized one of them… Rafael. He clenched his fists, realizing that Cross had infiltrated one of his own in Julia's life, and the so-called guy had not only hurt Julia but wanted her sexually.

"I'll give you any amount of money you want, just please, don't hurt her".

Jake walked around the board. "How much is her life worth Gideon? Tell me".

"10 million dollars! I can have the amount ready in a few hours".

Arthur shook his head in disbelief, knowing full well that the amount proposed by Gideon was in no way enough for Julia's worth or what Jake wanted.

Jake nodded at the guys and one of them placed a cloth over Julia's face and then pinched her nose. Another proceeded to pour water over her face. Arthur could see that Julia was trying hard to break free, but it was useless. She held her breath for as long as she could, longer than most people. Arthur heard the early gargle as she tried to push back the water from within her throat. Inevitably, the quantity of water became too much for her to handle and just when it felt as though she was downing, the deluge stopped. Jake lifted the board and removed the cloth, a massive quantity of water gushed out of Julia's mouth and she was heaving trying to recuperate her breath.

Jake shook his head. "Now Gideon, I'm very disappointed in your offer and I'm sure Julia is too. Heck, I'm sure Bishop would be able to pay me twice that amount for Julia's safety".

"Please stop! Just tell me how much you want and it's yours"!

Jake seemed to think. "Let me think about it for a couple of minutes". He pushed the board back down and the guys returned to their water torture.

This time it was longer than the first but luckily Julia held on.

"I want 5 billion dollars Gideon and I want it in 48h"!

"48 hours? Are you crazy? Do you know how long it takes to get those kinds of funds"?!

"Not my problem Gideon. You get the money in 48 hours or you can kiss Julia goodbye"!

The video feed turned off and Arthur started to pinpoint on a map, all the places Jake had been. All of them had one thing in common, they were all around Valladolid, which was approximately two hours away from Cancun.

There was an alert on one of his computers and he looked at it. He had finally been able to link the video feed to an IP address and its coordinates.

He typed in the coordinates on the satellite link and a beautiful hacienda in Valladolid appeared. The only thing he needed now was to plan how he was going to get in and get Julia out safely and in less than 48 hours!


	13. Chapter 13

Having satellite images was one thing but Arthur knew it wasn't enough to get Julia out safely, there were too many unknown variables. It was clear that he would have to get closer to the hacienda to have a clear understanding as to what he was against. Hovering over the hacienda in a helicopter would be too obvious and there was no waterway that he could navigate that could give him a distant view.

He paced in front of the wall then back to the PC. There hadn't been any video feed in a while and he was starting to worry that Cross, knowing full well that Gideon was going to hand him the money and that he was going to do everything he could to free Julia, would get rid of her sooner rather than later. There was only one thing left for him to do and that was to physically get close to that hacienda and not get caught prematurely.

He grabbed a duffel bag and placed inside binoculars, guns, knives, grenades, C4 and ammo. He then went over to a closet and took out a bunch of passports and fake ids. He hoped he wouldn't need it but if he did, he would be prepared. He fetched his phone, a camera, wires and an iPad. When his bag was ready, he changed and loaded up a black SUV that he had out back. It was very similar to the one Cross and team were using, and he hoped that if it was parked near the hacienda, that it would appear to belong to Cross and his men. He set out towards Valladodid, trying to focus on the next steps of his mission, but his mind couldn't stop but wander and think of Julia. He couldn't get out of his head, the look she'd had when she had confronted him and her father at Knox Consolidated. She must hate him and yet something that she had said to Cross about him making love to her, let him on to believe that maybe she could forgive him. Or had she lied to Cross, as to not give him the satisfaction of feeling he had the upper hand?

Julia woke up and stirred. She was back on the bed and shackled and must have been asleep for quite some time because she was dry. She couldn't remember dozing off, but she knew that shortly after the second round she had through, she had been exhausted. She hated her body for having given up, because had they gone an extra round, she wouldn't have been able to fight it off anymore and it would have been the end. An end she wasn't ready to accept. There were too many unanswered questions and she needed answers. She needed to know that she hadn't been wrong. That she hadn't been manipulated and what she had felt had been real, not some masquerade her father had orchestrated.

The door opened, and Jake walked in. He said nothing at first but simply stared at her, letting his eyes stray in length over her body.

"I never imagined you the type of woman to fall for the bad boy type".

Julia kept quiet.

"I mean, do enlighten me, what was it about Bishop that made you fall for him? His British charm and accent, his fighting skills, how he prepares cocktails. I can't imagine what went through your mind when you found out he was a hitman. You must have regretted sleeping with him".

Julia raised an eyebrow. It was clear that Jake knew nothing. If he did have guys following her and Bishop around, there were a lot of things he didn't know.

She started to laugh. "You are so fucking naïve Jake. Is that really what you think"?

Jake clenched his jaw. He didn't really appreciate the fact that she was trying to make him pass for a fool.

"You think I found out in my father's office that Bishop was a hitman? I knew Bishop was a hitman before sleeping with him and I don't regret it one bit".

She could see Jake narrow his eyes.

"You want to know what made me fall for him, aside from the fact that he was honest with me about what he was? It was the fact that my money didn't matter to him".

Jake sneered. "You think he did all of that for free? Who is being naïve now, huh Julia? You want to know how much your father paid him to keep an eye on you? 5 million dollars. And imagine that to top it all off, he got to sleep with you. It may not have been part of the initial deal with your father, but I think the big winner in this whole thing is Bishop, don't you? Why settle for the money when you can get the girl as well"!

It was her turn to clench her jaws tight. "He'll come for me! And when he does, he's going to kill you".

"Of course, he'll come, I wouldn't expect it to happen any other way. I'm still debating on whether I should kill you in front of his eyes or the other way around. Either way, it'll be exhilarating".

Julia finally realized that Jake's plan, regardless of having the money or not, was to kill her, no matter what.

"You won't get that chance".

"He's all by himself Julia and I have an army of men waiting".

"Don't underestimate what someone can do for money, Jake"!

She defied him with her eyes and he tilted his head to the side.

"You scared me there for a moment Jules. I thought you were going to say, 'what someone can do for love'. I guess you've finally come to realize the fairytale is over. I'm sorry you aren't going to get your happily ever after ending, but I promise to make it worth your while".


	14. Chapter 14

When Arthur arrived, he parked nearby another house and put a few things in a backpack and headed towards the back of the property. He made a clearing in the hedge, laid down on the ground and looked at the hacienda and its surroundings. He took out his night-vision binoculars and took inventory of Cross' men.

There were three men walking around the back of the hacienda and two on the roof. All heavily armed with guns and Kalashnikovs. He memorized their routine and shift changes over the three following hours. He also took a mental note of all the possible ways to enter the property. He had managed to get the blueprints of the hacienda through a contact and there were a lot of different places that Cross could have been keeping Julia. But for having kept people hostage, Arthur was more than certain that it wasn't on the ground floor. It left the second floor and the basement and if he picked the wrong one, the commotion of him killing Cross' men would bring attention and Cross would more than certainly kill Julia and he couldn't let that happen.

Time was his worst enemy. He knew that once the sun would rise, it would be harder to get in and not be seen. He headed back to the SUV, geared up and took the duffel bag. His best bet was to get onto the roof, take down the two men and go through the attic window. He climbed a high tree on the property next door and walked out over the sturdy branch. He quietly jumped on the roof of hacienda and hid in the darkness waiting for one of the men to come his way. When the man came within reach, he grabbed him from behind, silencing him with his firm hand and planted his knife in the side of his neck. He then pulled the guy away and left him on the side of the roof. He slowly walked over to the other corner and waited for the second guy and repeated what he had done with the first before opening the attic window and letting himself in.

Julia stared at the ceiling as she listened to her heart pounding in her chest. She was thinking about Arthur and hoping that she had been right in telling Jake earlier that he would come and rescue her.

The door flung open and she watched as Jake walked in with two of his men, including Rafael. The two men walked over to her and unlocked the shackles and lifted her from the bed. She tried to break free as they dragged her over to Jake.

Jake moved his hand towards her face and she turned her head away, sending his blood boiling.

"I'm sure your father is doing everything he can to get me my money, but I think a little incentive won't hurt".

The men dragged her past Jake into the room next door and shackled her back up in a standing position and waited for Jake to follow them.

"Remember Jules, this isn't personal, babe".

She stared him down. "I'm not your babe and I'll never be. And you're wrong, this is personal".

"I'm sorry you feel that way because in the end, it's just business. You are merely collateral damage in what I consider to be a business transaction"!

He leaned against the wall and nodded to Rafael and the other guy to leave them.

Jake placed himself in front of her and punched her in the stomach. The force of the blow was so strong that it took her breath away momentarily and she had been unable to scream the pain she felt. He then punched her again in her side and her body swayed in the other direction as if she was a punching bag. She clenched her fists in anticipation of the next hit but instead he looked at her.

"You're a coward Jake", she said through gritted teeth. "It's easy to beat someone who's chained up. What's wrong? You're afraid of taking a few hits back"?

With the back of his hand he slapped her violently across the face, sending droplets of blood flying and landing on the floor.

"You're really starting to get on my nerves Julia, maybe this will keep you quiet".

She turned her head towards him and lifted it, blood dripping from her nose and mouth.

She spit in his direction. "Go to hell"!

He slapped her again and then grabbed her throat.

"I should kill you right here, right now"!

With the little energy she had and as she could considering his hand was tightening around her throat, she managed to say what was going through her head at that moment.

"Go ahead, do it. What are you waiting for"?

Jake blinked a couple of times, loosened his hold on her throat and took a step back. He was taken aback not by what she had said but how it had been said. It had sounded almost like a plea. Almost as if she was begging him to do it. If she wanted to die, he wouldn't do it by punching her. The only way he knew how to kill was with a gun, it was quicker, easier and less messy. But he knew he couldn't kill her, not while the video feed to Gideon was still on, if he killed her before he had his money, it was useless. He punched her again in the side, then in the stomach and slapped her again once in the face.

Everything went black around Julia as she lost consciousness. Jake looked at the camera.

"Gideon, the quicker you get me my money, the easier it will be on Julia. I won't hesitate to keep going"!

He shut the camera off and returned his attention to Julia.


	15. Chapter 15

Arthur walked down the stairs from the attic to the second floor quietly. He hid in a corner and listened around. He could hear nothing aside from two Hispanics talking about soccer and women. One of them seemed upset that there was a beautiful woman in the basement and he couldn't even have a good time. Arthur raised an eyebrow. So, Cross was keeping Julia in the basement. It was perfect. The blueprints had shown that there was a door leading from the basement, outside and when the men would be neutralized, it was only a couple of yards until his SUV. Unfortunately, what Arthur hadn't counted on was in what state Julia would be and it would become soon obvious that she wouldn't be walking out of the hacienda.

He planted some C4 along the walls and armed the timers to go off in 15 minutes. He walked into the room and killed the two men with the gun that had the silencer.

He continued down towards the stairs leading to the ground floor. There were no men visible. Apparently, Cross had placed most of his men outside around the perimeter of the hacienda and most probably downstairs. He placed again a few explosives and armed the timers.

When he arrived in the basement, he placed another couple of explosives, in hidden and strategic places. He then walked slowly towards the first room and found it empty. Inside was the mattress that Julia had been laying on in the first video.

He heard the voices of men coming from a room further down and he walked over and peaked inside carefully. His blood ran cold as he looked at Julia tied up, her head hanging and blood dripping from it. Standing in front of her was Cross, gun in hand and two guys standing behind him, their back to Arthur.

Arthur weighed in his options. He only had one shot at this otherwise Cross would kill Julia and Arthur would never be able to live with that outcome, and he also knew he needed to keep most of his ammo to get off the grounds of the hacienda. Just when he was about to attack both men from behind with his knife, one of them turned around. So much for the element of surprise.

The man yelled and swung at Arthur who blocked his punch and hit back. He swiped the guys feet sending him to the floor. The other guy joined in to help his friend and Arthur punched him and kicked him as Jake placed himself next to Julia. A gun shot was heard, and Arthur looked up towards Julia as he sent the second guy to the ground crashing in a loud thud. He watched as Cross placed his gun against Julia's temple.

"I'd advise you to stay right where you are Bishop. I doubt you want me to pull the trigger and end Julia's life like this".

"You're going to kill her anyway. Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back"!

The two men stood and grabbed Arthur at each side.

Jake shook his head. "Julia had so much faith in you. She was certain that you would come and rescue her and I'm afraid, you've let her down again".

"I didn't let her down, not once, not now".

"Oh, but you did. You and I are so much alike Bishop. We screw people over for money. I'll agree with you that our techniques are different but in the end the outcome is the same".

"I'm going to kill you Cross. I promise to make it quick. One bullet right smack in the middle of your head. That's how they generally kill animals".

Jake walked over and grabbed Arthur's knife and looked at it's sharp blade.

"Nice. Real nice. I'm curious as to how sharp it is. Is it a smooth cut or just the opposite"?

Arthur shook as he watched Jake return to Julia. He put his gun in the back of his pants and placed the point of the knife on Julia's thigh and slowly let it trail down a few inches. The skin opened instantly as if it were silk and blood trickled down.

"Amazing"! said Jake. "A fine piece of cold steel, very precise".

"You fucking son of a bitch"! yelled Arthur no longer able to contain the pain and the anger that were mixing in him.

"It's gut wrenching isn't it, to see someone…" Jake paused. "Wait. Do you love her Bishop? Or was she simply the icing on the cake? She's unconscious, so you don't need to worry about telling the truth".

"That's none of your fucking business".

Jake shrugged. "I'm a very curious man. That's alright, we can stay here all night until you give me an answer. I'm a very patient man. I've been working on this operation for four years, it was supposed to be a piece of cake, until you showed up and ruined everything. So, another couple of hours won't change anything for me. I'll just continue taking care of Julia".

Arthur knew he was running out of time, not only when it came to Julia but also regarding the explosives he had placed. He needed to get her, and himself, out of there and fast.

"You want the truth Cross? I'll give you the truth. I feel in love with her the minute she walked into that bar on the first night I worked there. But I pushed my feeling aside because I never mix business with pleasure, but what I felt for her was so strong that I couldn't fight it anymore and I'm glad I didn't".

Jake sneered and looked at him. "As I was saying, it must be hard to see someone you love suffer and die in front of your eyes. Because, that is what I'm going to do Bishop. I'm going to kill her as you watch"!

Jake took a step towards Julia with Arthur's knife. As Cross' attention was no longer on him, Arthur took his head and headbutted the first guy then the second, allowing them to release his hold on him. If there was one thing that Cross had underestimated, it was Arthur's speed. In a flash he grabbed Jake by the head, grabbed the gun at the back of his jeans. Still holding on to Cross, he shot Rafael and the other guy in the head, killing them instantaneously. He placed the gun at the back of Cross' head.

"Drop it"! he said to him, talking about the knife.

Jake dropped the knife. "You'll never get out of her alive".

"Just watch me"!

A sequence of detonations was heard in the building. Arthur looked at his watch. Time was running out. He turned Cross around and shot him in the stomach point blank. Jake staggered backwards and crashed into the wall and fell to the floor, holding his bleeding abdomen.

He rushed over to Julia and undid the pins of her hand shackles and held her body against his as he caught her in her lifeless fall. He carried her in his arms and walked past Jake.

"Enjoy the fireworks, you should have a great view from here"!

He grabbed his duffel bag and gun and walked towards the door leading outside. He kicked the door open and stepped out into the day rising. He dodged bullets and shot men as he proceeded to head towards the front of the property and out onto the road.

The ground floor explosives went off, sending men and debris flying, but Arthur didn't stop, he kept going.

He was about to reach the street when he heard it.

"Bishop, I'm going to kill you"!

He turned around and saw a staggering Cross walking towards him, gun in hand.

Arthur shot in his direction as he resumed his way to the SUV.

He quickly but gently placed Julia on the back seat. She was still losing blood, where Cross had cut her thigh but there was no time to address that problem, he needed to get her somewhere safe first. Then he would make it his last assignment to kill Cross.

He got behind the wheel and started the engine as he heard an engine rev up behind him. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw Cross behind the wheel. Arthur slammed on the accelerator and started to swerve to avoid the bullets Cross was sending their way. Arthur opened his window and tried to fire back, aiming at the tires. Cross caught up to him and bumped into the back of the SUV, sending it forward and slightly losing its trajectory. When Cross placed his SUV right next to Arthur's, Arthur swerved the SUV against it, sending it to the side of the road, slowing Cross down. Arthur shot a glance at Julia and her leg and knew she didn't have much time left. He followed the road at it swerved into a tight turn. He grabbed a grenade from a bag on the passenger seat. He pulled the pin out and sent it flying through the window. It exploded as it hit the ground, creating a crater in the road, sending debris. He knew he had one shot and only one shot. He slammed on the breaks, sending the car into a 360 stopping it at 160, slightly to the right side of the road. He stepped out of the car, gun in hand, with his arm at his side, and placed himself right in the middle of the road. He waited as he heard the sound of Cross' SUV get neared around the bend. When it was in sight, he lifted his arm and aimed at the SUV.

He pulled the trigger once, sending the bullet right straight through the windshield and allowing it to lodge itself right in the middle of Cross' forehead. He then shot another one in the tire as it neared him. He jumped out of the cars path as it lost control and finished in the ditch and rammed itself in a tree.

Arthur stood and walked over to the car and looked at a lifeless Cross.

"There's one thing you should know. I always keep my promises"!

Arthur walked away and went for the trunk of the SUV. He pulled out a first aid kit and took out bandages. He went to the back seat and quickly wrapped her thigh. He then returned to the trunk and placed a blanket over Julia. He bent over and kissed her on the forehead. "Hang in there gorgeous, don't give up on me now".

He got back behind the wheel and drove to the nearest hospital and handed her over to the ER doctor's explaining he had found her on the side of the road near a car accident.

As they tended to her, he took his phone out.

"VanKirk".

"It's Bishop. You can stop the transaction. I have Julia".

"How is she"?

"I think I don't need to answer that question. She's at Clinica San Juan in Valladolid. I'll stay until you get here".

"We're on our way"!

A few hours later, Gideon, Connor and a few other security guys walked into the ER waiting room.

Gideon walked over to Bishop and shook his hand. "Thank you, Bishop".

Arthur dug his hands in his pockets. "That was the assignment wasn't it? Keep an eye on her and make sure she's safe".

Gideon nodded. "We'll take it from here. Your job is done".

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to wait until she comes to".

"That won't be necessary. This changes nothing, Bishop".

"Why don't you let Julia make that call"?

"My daughter has no idea what is best for her". He took out a pad and pen and scribbled on it. He then ripped it and handed it to Bishop. "For your troubles".

Arthur took the paper and looked at it.

"You are a smart man Bishop, I know you'll make the right call".

Arthur folded the paper, placed it in his pocket and looked at Connor who remained stoic.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you Mr. VanKirk", said Arthur as he walked out of the waiting room.

Gideon turned around and looked at Connor. "Make sure he leaves the premises".

Connor nodded and followed Arthur.

As Arthur headed back to La Rosa Negra and packed up his things, Julia woke from her unconscious state and noticed she was in the hospital. She looked around the room. If she was here, safe and alive, it must have been because Arthur had come for her. For a split second her heartbeat accelerated at the thought that he was with her, but her hopes disappeared like a thin trail of smoke in the wind as the only person in the room with her was her father.

"Julia" said Gideon as he walked towards her.

"Where's Arthur"?

"He's gone. He's moved on Julia. This was nothing more than a job".

Julia's eyes teared up as she heard her father's words.

Gideon remained untouched by his daughter's state as he walked towards the door.

"I'm taking you home. I'll let the doctor know and have the jet ready to leave within the next few hours".

Julia let the tears flow without holding back as she watched her father exit the room. It was over. It was all over. Bishop had left, and she had just lost her freedom and would return to the VanKirk mansion in the NJ suburbs. Had Jake killed her, it would have been the same.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Two months later**_

Bishop stood at the corner of the Fifth Avenue, wearing a pair of jeans, a sweater, coat and cap. He watched as the SUV stopped alongside the curb. Connor got out of the car and opened the rear passenger door allowing Julia to step out on the sidewalk. She was wearing a red dress, black high heels and a long black woolen coat. Arthur watched her intensely as she walked towards the VanKirk Consolidated building doors, Connor by her side. Her face was closed, and lacking emotion and it pained him. It wasn't the way he knew Julia. At the doors, she was greeted by another security guy and disappeared inside the building. Connor returned towards the car and looked in Bishop's direction. The two men locked eyes. Bishop gave Connor a nod and Connor nodded back before getting back inside the SUV. By the time the SUV left the curb, Bishop had vanished into thin air.

Gideon walked into Julia's office early afternoon.

"Julia, I need you in Paris tomorrow".

Julia looked up from a file she was reading. "Paris"?

"Yes, I need you to finalize a negotiation regarding a merger with a French tech company. If everything goes well, you should be back in a couple of days".

"Of course," replied Julia.

"Connor will accompany you".

"Naturally".

"I'm counting on you Julia. Don't let me down".

"I'll get it done".

"Good. You should head home and pack, the plane leaves from Newark at 6PM. Make sure you're on time".

Julia nodded and leaned back in her chair as her father exited the room. She grabbed her cell phone and opened up Arthur's contact file. She pushed on the 'call' button and waited.

'We're sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. We're sorry, the number you have…'

She hung up the phone and placed it on her desk. She stood and headed towards the full-length window that looked out of the 50th floor of the VanKirk building, unto the NY skyline.

That's what her life had been like these past two months and she felt as if she was slowly dying inside. She had been forced by her father to resume her position of COO at VanKirk Consolidated, attending meetings, conference calls, business breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Every day she tried calling Arthur in the hope that one day the number would no longer not be in service and he would pick up. She wondered where he was and what he was doing. Had he forgotten about her that easily? Had he moved on to another assignment? Another woman? Was she holding on to something that no longer existed?

She was brought out of her thoughts when her door opened again revealing Connor in the doorframe.

"Are you ready to go"? he asked.

Julia blinked herself back to reality and walked over to her desk. "Yeah, just give me a second to grab a few things and we can go".

He walked over to her desk and saw her phone and the name of the contact on the screen.

"Still no answer"? he asked her.

"No", she said as she put on her coat, grabbed her purse and handed Connor her laptop bag. She took the phone and locked it and placed it in her coat pocket.

"I'm sorry Julia", said Connor as he followed her out of her office.

"Yeah. Me too".

The ride from the mansion to the airport was quiet. Julia looked out the window lost in her thoughts as Connor watched feeling helpless at her distress. It was obvious that Julia loved Bishop and the life she was living now made her unhappy and she wanted no part in it. The happiness and the smile he had come across when he had seen her at the annual gala at Knox Consolidated had disappeared. It was as if someone had turned off the light inside of her.

The car stopped on the tarmac of the private part of Newark Airport, alongside the VanKirk private jet. Julia stepped out of the car as Connor held the door for her as the driver took her luggage to hand over to the flight attendant.

"Good Evening Miss VanKirk", said the flight attendant as she entered the plane.

She removed her leather jacket that she had traded earlier for her long coat.

"Good evening Marcus", she said as he took her jacket from her and placed it in the closet. She walked into the main cabin and sat down in the very comfortable leather armchair.

Connor removed his suit jacket and sat across from her.

"Can I get you anything to drink Miss VanKirk"? asked Marcus.

"No thank you Marcus, I'll wait until we've taken off".

Marcus nodded and looked at Connor.

"Sparkling water for me. Thanks".

Connor watched as Julia took a book out of her bag and started to read. He took the newspaper that was on the table and started to read it as the plane raced down the runway and took off.

Once they had reached their cruising altitude, Marcus returned and asked Julia what she wanted to drink. As he headed back towards the kitchen area, he exchanged glances with Connor.

He went and prepared Julia's orange juice. He took a capsule out of his pocket. He opened it and dropped its powdery contents into Julia's juice and stirred until it had dissolved.

Connor looked at Julia as she started to yawn a half an hour later.

"Tired"? he asked smiling kindly.

"I wasn't expecting on being so tired", said Julia. "It must be the altitude".

"You've been working hard this past month. Rest up, it'll do you some good".

Julia smiled. She had always liked Connor.

"Nah, I'm good thanks", said Julia as she returned to her book.

As the minutes passed by, he watched as Julia tried to fight off the fatigue, until it was no longer possible, and she dozed off with her book in hand.

Marcus came up to them and looked at Connor.

"Are you sure this is a good idea"?

Connor nodded as he stood and walked over to Julia's seat. He took her book from out of her hands, closed it placed it on the table. He then lifted Julia into his arms and headed to the back of the plane where there was a bedroom. Marcus followed him and watched as Connor delicately placed Julia on the bed and covered her with the comforter.

"How long do you think she'll be out"? asked Marcus as he leaned against the doorframe.

"I hope she'll be out for most of the flight over".

"It's a long flight Connor".

"In general, we have 8 hours of sleep a night. With what she took I hope she'll be out for double that time".

"Remind me why we had to give her a sleeping pill"?

"Because there are still a few things I need to finalize before we get there".

"I really hope you know what you're doing", said Marcus as he followed Connor back into the main cabin.


	17. Chapter 17

Julia woke up and smiled as she realized she was in bed. She stood and walked out of the bedroom into the main cabin feeling refreshed and replenished. She could see that it was daytime as the sun shone through the window.

"Morning sleepy head", said Connor as she sat down across from him.

She smiled, and it brought a smile to his face.

"Wow. I haven't slept that good in a long time. How long was I out for"?

Connor looked at his watch. "More or less 16 hours".

Julia's smile was replaced by a look of confusion. "What are you talking about, we're still in the air. If I've slept that long, we should already be on the ground in Paris".

She looked at her watch and saw that the date and time had indeed changed.

"You're right, we're still in the air, but there is only one slight problem, we're not on route to Paris".

"What's going on Connor"?

He pointed to the video console and screen. "Take a look for yourself on the map".

She turned it on and pushed on the map icon. She blinked a couple of times as she saw they were nearing Thailand.

She started to laugh. "Ok, Marcus, very funny you guys. I actually almost fell for it".

Connor leaned in over the table towards her. "Julia, look outside the window down below".

She leaned in towards the window and looked down. There was nothing to see except water. She was smart enough to know that with so much sunlight, they shouldn't have been over ocean if they were indeed headed for Paris.

She stood immediately and took a step back. Had Connor decided to go rogue himself and in turn kidnap her? Had he been in it this whole time with Cross and wanted to finally get the money they had never received. She was starting to panic.

Connor stood and smiled.

"Julia everything is fine, I need to explain a few things but let me reassure you, I'm not kidnapping you".

She lifted an eyebrow.

"I know you Julia, I know what you're thinking". He showed her the seat again with his hand. "Please sit".

She glanced in Marcus' direction and he seemed totally calm and gave her a broad smile. Maybe she was overreacting. She sat back down.

"Look, I know these past few months haven't been easy for you and I know how you feel about Bishop".

"And let me guess, you think it's pathetic and I'm out of my mind hanging on to something, someone who apparently doesn't care about me".

Connor went inside the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out an envelope.

"Here", he said as he held it in her direction.

"What is it"?

"Take a look for yourself".

Julia took the envelope, trying very hard not to show that her hand was shaking. She still wasn't 100% convinced that this wasn't a kidnapping.

She opened it and took out its contents.

She looked at the piece of paper she was holding in her hand. "It's a check".

"Tell me what's written on it".

Julia bit her lip. "It's for 5 million dollars and made out to Arthur Bishop". The same amount of money her father had paid him to watch over her.

Connor gave her another envelope and she mirrored her action with the first envelope.

"And this one"? asked Connor.

"A check for 25 million dollars, made out to Arthur Bishop".

She looked at Connor. "What is this"?

"That", said Connor leaning back in his chair, "is the amount of money your father offered Bishop at the hospital, so he'd walk away and out of your life for good".

Her initial response was anger. How could her father do that!? How could he meddle in her life? How could he offer money so that Bishop would walk away? She looked at Connor.

"How come you have these"?

Connor smiled. "After Bishop left the waiting room, your father asked me to make sure he would leave, and I did. Bishop handed me both checks saying that he could care less about the money. That it may have started out as a job, but all that changed very quickly. Even if there was little doubt in my mind, it was then that I realized that he was truly in love with you. He told me to keep them until the time was right".

Julia looked at the checks in her hands and her heart started pounding. So, she hadn't been wrong about how he felt about her. But it still didn't resolve the problem of where he was. She looked at Connor who smiled contently.

"You know where he is don't you"? asked Julia impatiently waiting on his response.

Connor leaned in over the table and gave her a side smile.

"Why do you think we've been flying for almost 20 hours and heading to Thailand? For you to get a suntan? Hell no, there are places you can do that in Paris".

Julia said nothing, but she could feel her eyes getting teary. Bishop had sent for her and the weight and darkness she had felt these past two months seemed to suddenly lift.

"First, we've got a few things to go over", said Connor. He waved his finger in Marcus' direction. Marcus joined them with a plastic bag and handed it over to Connor.

Connor pulled out a few things and placed them in front of Julia on the table.

"This is your new passport. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Emily Grayson".

Julia took the passport and looked at it.

"Driver's license and credit cards as well".

"I don't have a bank account in that name, what good would credit cards do"?

Connor placed a paper in front of her. "You do. Here are the bank details. All your assets have been transferred to that account. They transited through multiple off-shore accounts. No one will be able to trace this account back to Julia VanKirk".

Julia cocked her head to the side.

"Hey, don't look at me", said Connor, "this is all Bishop's magic".

Julia shook her head in amazement and disbelief.

"I'm going to need your phone, in the blink of an eye, once you turn it on, your father can geolocate you and well that'll be the end of everything we've been trying to put in place".

Julia took the phone out of her purse and handed it to Connor, who placed it inside the plastic bag.

"I also need your passport, driver's license, social security card, anything that has your name on it".

Julia did as she was told.

"Now what"? she asked.

"When we land at Phuket airport, a jeep will be waiting for you. It will take you to Chalong Pier. There a Longtail boat will be waiting for you to take you to your destination. When you get there, ask for Mei, she knows to be expecting you".

Julia put her hand on Connor's. "Why are you doing all of this"?

"Julia I've known you for the past twenty years. I know you don't belong in this world and I've never seen you happier than when you were with Bishop. You deserve to be happy and to lead the life you want, and I know that as long as you are within reach of your father, that will never happen".

"You are a good man Connor. My father is going to fire you".

"I'm not worried about that. My resignation letter is ready. I won't need to protect you anymore. Maybe it's time I retired".

"Thank you, Connor for having always been such a good friend. If you ever need anything".

Connor nodded and brought up Julia's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Oh", he said as he put her hand down. "There is one more thing".

"What's that"?

"You need to change. It's summer in Thailand. I took the liberty of packing you some lighter clothes".

Marcus returned with a duffel bag and dropped it next to her on the floor.

Thirty minutes later the private jet landed at Phuket Airport. Julia walked over to the door and saw the jeep waiting for her. Marcus walked out of the plane and handed the driver Julia's bag. Julia turned around and hugged Connor.

"How can I ever repay you"?

"Be happy", he whispered in her ear gently.

Julia pulled away and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't be a stranger".

Connor smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I know where to find you".

Julia walked down the steps and settled in to the jeep.


	18. Chapter 18

The drive from the airport to the pier took a bit more than an hour but she didn't care. The sun was shining, and she felt as if she was walking on air. Her heart was still beating fast in anticipation of seeing Arthur again. The pier was packed but she followed the driver through the crowd to a very specific Longtail boat. He helped her onto it and said a few words in Thai to the skipper and walked away.

Julia sat down and took in the beauty of what she saw as they headed out on the water. Fifteen minutes later, she saw an island in the distance. She stood and headed for the front of the boat as they got closer. She could see a few bungalows lined up along the beach. The sand was white, and the water was turquoise and transparent. Only a few locals were on the beach, bringing in fishing nets.

The skipper stopped the boat near the dock and helped Julia get out. He handed her bag to her and pointed in the direction of the first bungalow.

"Khop khun", said Julia as she placed her hands together and bowed in his direction. She grabbed her bag and headed to the bungalow he had indicated.

She removed her sunglasses as she entered the bungalow and the woman behind the desk counter looked up from her register. She smiled upon seeing Julia.

"You must be Julia", the woman said as she came around the desk.

Julia nodded and put her hand out. "And you must be Mei".

Mei shook her hand and smiled as she looked at her. "I'm happy that we finally get a chance to meet". She put her hand kindly on Julia's back. "Follow me".

They two walked out of the bungalow unto the beach in the direction of the other bungalows. "Arthur is running a few errands he should be back in a couple of hours".

Julia didn't care if she had to wait a couple of hours, she had been waiting for two months.

They stopped in front of a big bungalow, the biggest one on the beach, it was three times the size of the other ones and had a top floor with a terrace. It was beautiful.

"Wow" said Julia.

"It's beautiful isn't it. They finished building it last week".

"I'm sorry, what"?

Mei smiled. "Arthur's bungalow was small and lacking space and old. It was time to rebuild. Besides, it wouldn't have been very comfortable for the two of you".

Julia felt a lump in her throat as the emotion rose. Mei smiled. "Arthur is a good man and these past months I haven't seen him as tormented and happy at the same time as I've ever known him to be".

Mei handed her the key. "Why don't you go inside and make yourself comfortable? If you need anything, just let me know".

Julia nodded silently and took the key between her fingers.

When she walked into the bungalow, she was amazed at its beauty and simplicity. She walked around the ground floor, through the living room, dining room and kitchen. She then headed upstairs where there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. She walked into the master bedroom and placed her bag down on the queen-sized bed. The window was opened and had a view on the beach and ocean and she could hear the waves crashing in. She turned around and opened her duffel bag, as she did, something on one of the night stands caught her attention. She walked over to it and sat on the bed. She picked it up from the nightstand and looked at it. It was the picture frame that had been on her desk in her apartment in Cancun, the one of her and Arthur at Tulum. She smiled as she put it back down.

She removed her shorts and t-shirt and put on a long flowing white maxi dress and headed back downstairs. She grabbed her sunglasses and headed outside. She sat down on the steps of the bungalow and looked out at the horizon. She could picture herself here forever with Arthur, living a simple and happy life.

She stood and walked down the beach closer to the ocean. She looked up towards the dock and she saw him talking to Mei. Her heart flipped over as she saw him. She saw Mei point in the direction of the bungalow and Arthur turned his head in its direction. His face lit up as he saw her, and he started to walk towards the bungalow. Julia impatiently set out to meet him.

Just as he knew he would never forget how she looked the day he met her and every day that followed, he knew he would never be able to forget the way she looked right now.

She stopped when he was five feet away from her. She didn't know what to say. But as he filled the gap between them, took her into his arms and kissed her passionately, almost as if his life depended on it, she knew they didn't need words.

Still kissing her, he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her. Her legs encircled his waist and she placed her arms around his neck. He removed his lips from hers and looked at her.

"I've been waiting a long time for you Mrs. Grayson and my patience has run out".

He walked towards the bungalow not letting her go and entered it. He headed to the first floor and delicately placed her on the bed. He removed his shirt and placed himself over her, letting his eyes get lost in hers. His mouth trailed down her neck to her cleavage.

"Wait, a minute" she said.

He lifted his head and looked at her.

"Did you say Mrs. Grayson"?

He smiled. "We have the rest of our lives to figure that out, right now there are more pressing matters".

She pulled him into her and kissed him greedily. He was right, they had forever.

Julia woke up to screams. She opened her eyes and looked in the direction from where they came from.

A little boy with brown hair was being chased down the beach.

"I'm going to catch you"!

"No! No!"

Inevitably the boy was caught and started to laugh.

Julia rose from the lounge chair and walked in their direction.

"Mommy! Mommy! Daddy caught me".

Julia smiled. "I see that. Did you guys have fun fishing"?

The three-year-old boy grinned. "I caught a huge fish"!

Julia opened her eyes wide in amazement. "Really! Where is it"?

The little boy looked at Arthur. "Where is my fish, daddy"?

Arthur laughed. "Mei is cleaning it".

"Cool! Can I go watch"? he asked looking at Julia.

"Of course, you can".

He leaned in and planted a kiss on his mom's cheek. "I love you, Mommy".

It wasn't the first time she'd heard it, but it made her heart melt each time. "Love you too Nate. Listen to Mei, OK"?

Nate nodded, and Arthur put him down. They both watched as their son ran down the beach towards Mei's bungalow.

Arthur looked at Julia and laughed. "It's a really small fish", he said as he placed himself behind her.

Julia laughed back.

Arthur put his arms around her. "How are my girls doing"? he asked as he placed his hand on Julia's bare and round belly.

Julia placed her hands over his and threaded her fingers in his. She smiled upon seeing them entwined, the sun shining down on her diamond engagement ring and their white gold wedding bands next to each other.

"Your daughter and I are counting down the days.. Ok maybe not her but I am. She's running out of space and giving me sleepless nights".

He turned her around and caressed her face and kissed her. It had been five years since she had entered his life and changed it in a way he could never have imagined, and he couldn't imagine spending a single day without her by his side. Who would have known that his last assignment would change his life forever and would bring him everything he thought he would never have the chance of having? A beautiful, amazing and loving wife, a son and as Julia had said, a daughter in the coming days. All of that he had won by turning down Gideon VanKirk's checks.

Julia had always been right, money can buy you a lot of things, but not the most beautiful and simplest things in life, simply because you can't put a price on love and happiness! And thanks to those two things, he was the richest man on Earth!


End file.
